WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD NEWS) — U.S. sheep inventories continued to contract at the start of 2026, while goat numbers posted modest growth, reflecting diverging trends across small-ruminant sectors. USDA’s January 1 Sheep and Goats report (PDF Version) shows a gradual tightening in sheep supplies alongside steadier expansion in meat-goat production.
All sheep and lambs totaled 4.99 million head on January 1, down 1 percent from a year earlier. Breeding sheep inventories fell 1 percent to 3.61 million head, with ewes one year old and older declining to 2.85 million head. Market sheep and lambs rose 1 percent to 1.38 million head, driven primarily by market lambs, which accounted for 94 percent of the total.
Production indicators point to limited expansion. The 2025 lamb crop slipped slightly to 3.03 million head, and the lambing rate declined to 105 lambs per 100 ewes. Wool production fell 5 percent to 20.5 million pounds, while average wool prices dropped to $1.40 per pound, reducing total wool value year over year.
Goat inventories moved in the opposite direction. All goats and kids increased 1 percent to 2.51 million head, supported by a 1 percent gain in breeding goats and a 1 percent increase in the 2025 kid crop. Meat and other goats rose 2 percent, offsetting declines in milk goats and angora goats.
Mohair production totaled 430,000 pounds in 2025, with prices averaging $6.40 per pound.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Shrinking sheep numbers contrast with gradual goat expansion, signaling tighter lamb supplies but steadier growth potential for meat goats.
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist
Tight Credit, Strong Yields Define Early December Agriculture
December 08, 2025 07:30 PM
·
Record yields and exceptionally low BCFM strengthen U.S. corn’s competitive position in global markets.
December 08, 2025 12:00 PM
·
Water access—not acreage alone—is driving where irrigation expands or contracts.
December 07, 2025 12:00 PM
·
Mike Steenhoek, with the Soy Transportation Commission, shares his outlook on current grain stocks and transportation lines amid bumper crops filling bins across the United States.
December 05, 2025 02:18 PM
·
Milk output is rising, but steep drops in Class I–IV prices are tightening margins heading into 2026.
December 04, 2025 07:00 AM
·
Tight cattle supplies continue to drive lower beef output despite heavier weights.
December 04, 2025 05:00 AM
·
Strong demand supports sweet potatoes, but grading challenges and rising costs weigh on returns for Southeastern growers.
December 02, 2025 06:17 AM
·
The Cotton-4 are pushing hard for new value chain investments. Still, many U.S. cotton producers face unsustainable losses, and weakened regional textile capacity threatens the survival of the Carolina “dirt-to-shirt” supply chain.
December 01, 2025 05:03 PM
·
Late harvest and tight supplies shape crop progress and agribusiness this week. Here is a regional snapshot of harvest pace, crop conditions, logistics, and livestock economics across U.S. agriculture for the week of Dec. 1, 2025.
December 01, 2025 04:22 PM
·
