Changes in the Sheep Industry in the United States Making the Transition from Tradition (2008) / Chapter Skim
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1 Development and Structure of the U.S. Sheep Industry
1 Development and Structure of the U.S. Sheep Industry
Pages 15-36
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From page 15... ...
The purebred industry is a major source of high‑quality breeding animals for the commercial flock, particularly rams, used for crossing with commercial ewes. In commercial operations, most producers maintain purebred lines in their ewe flock, relying on terminal sire breeds to achieve the characteristics desired in their market lambs.
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From page 16... ...
sheep industry in subsequent chapters. As well, the chapter provides an overview of the linkages and interdependencies in the industry inherent in the marketing channels or value chain through which sheep and lamb products flow from producer to end user.
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Woolen cloth manufacturing experienced its greatest growth during the period from 1830 to 1870, particularly during the Civil War years of the early 1860s. Although many eastern states had large sheep populations in the 1800s, sheep production began shifting westward with improved rail transportation, feed production, and lower production costs in the West.
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The regulations and permits for grazing on public lands have changed considerably over the last several decades, with impacts on the availability of land for sheep production. This challenge to the industry is discussed in more detail in Chapter 2.
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Predation losses have been a concern for many years in the sheep and lamb industry, both for range and farm flocks. Sheep, goats, lambs, and kids are particularly susceptible to predation, and the changing availability or restricted use of many methods used to control predators since the late 1970s has been cited as a cause for increased losses from predation (Hawthorne, 2004; Shelton, 2004)
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While inventories in some states continue to erode, many states have now halted the long‑term decline and show modest growth in aggregate terms. The last few years exhibit a transition period with growth in the states with farm flocks coupled with slower overall decline in the range sheep flocks, contributing
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Retail and food service markets with lower lamb volume now have improved opportunities to merchandise lamb. Chapters 2 and 4 discuss this and other new technologies affecting the sheep and lamb industry.
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Perhaps the most optimistic aspect of the U.S. sheep and lamb industry is the emergence of new and niche markets for sheep and lamb products, as discussed in more detail in Chapters 5, 6, and 7.
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5. Small wool mills, often called mini-mills, that produce for specialty wool yarn, wool fabric, and finished wool product markets.
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Since the majority of The live animal marketing channel of the sheep industry value chain is discussed in more detail in Chapter 2, and the lamb meat marketing channel is discussed in more detail in Chapter 4.
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DEVELOPMENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE U.S. SHEEP INDUSTRY 25 Farm Flock Sheep and Lambs 1 • Mostly smaller operations Sheep Milk Processing 22 • About half of all sheep and lambs • Lambs often forage or grain fed through to slaughter Direct Marketing of Lambs 5 • Often ancillary operations of the farm Wool and 19 Wool 21 Wool Products Products Range Sheep Operations 2 Exports Fabrication • Dominated by large operations • Concentrated in western USA • About half of all sheep and lambs Raw Wool 18 • Most move to feedlot operations • For processing into wool fabrics and other products Feedlot Finishing for Lambs 3 • Weaned lambs moved to feedlots near feed • Mostly separate from ranch operations • Usually large scale Wool Imports 20 • Sold to packers mostly by auction and contract prices Lambs and Yearlings for Harvest 4 Pelts for Processing 10 Pelts 12 • Carcasses for • Offals Export, • Pelts mostly Offals for Rendering, 9 Asia and Other Products Cull Ewes and Rams Europe or Disposal for Harvest 14 Industrial Product Demands 11 Further Processors and 6 for Products from Sheep, Breakers Lambs, Pelts, Offals and Wool • Consumer ready meats • Prepared foods containing lamb Lamb and Lamb Products for 8 Consumers: Meat, Prepared Foods, Milk, Pelts, Wool Exports of 15 Retailers and Food Service Products mutton • Meat case products 7 and lamb • Lamb/mutton as a component of prepared foods • Restaurant and institutional trade Imports of Sheep and Lamb Meat 16 • Mostly whole carcasses for Imports of consumer-ready meat Farm Production further processing and prepared food products Feedlots • Very few live animal imports containing lamb and mutton 17 Slaughter/Further Processing Retailers and Food Service Cull Ewes and 13 Exports and Imports Rams for Live Export Consumer/Industrial Demands FIGURE 1-5 Sheep and lamb value chain diagram.
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From page 26... ...
5 Packers and Breakers 6 • Sold as dressed carcasses, major cuts and retail ready cuts and processed Retailers 9 meats and meat products • Major chains • Specialty food stores Food Service Industry 10 Home Consumption 11 Food Away from Home • Ready to cook portions • Hotels • Prepared products • Restaurants • Products containing some lamb • Institutions • Whole carcasses purchased live, with some dressed at point of purchase Major Movement Farm Production Feedlots and Pasture Finishing Moderate Movement Slaughter/Further Processing Minor/Unknown Movement Retailers and Food Service Exports and imports not shown Consumer/Industrial Demands FIGURE 1-6 Farm-to-market linkages for lamb.
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From page 27... ...
Fenced range operations are located mainly in Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, where there is relatively less publicly owned land and the ranges are mostly fenced. Unlike range band sheep operations, fenced range producers do not normally utilize on-site herders (Ensminger, 2002)
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the direct marketing channel. The Traditional Lamb Marketing Channel In the traditional lamb marketing channel, lambs move from range and farm flock operations to higher‑quality feeding systems (pasture and/or feedlot)
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In the meat component of the traditional marketing channel, lambs move directly from farms and feedlots to harvesters principally through auction markets and contract arrangements with growers (Box 4 in Figure 1-5)
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The Direct Lamb Marketing Channel The third lamb marketing channel is the direct sale of live lambs at the farm gate to individual consumers. In some cases, the lamb is dressed at the farm by the buyer.
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The traditional demand by lamb finishers dominates this market although the early harvest lamb marketing channel competes directly for the higher‑quality feeder lambs ready for immediate harvest. Because of the demand by immediate harvesters for feeder lambs, this component seems to establish the top prices in the market with the poorer‑quality lambs needing more time on high‑quality feeds to make a quality product, establishing the average prices in the market.
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, considerable pressure for change in lamb marketing channels is likely. The demand for feeder lambs for immediate harvest can be expected to strengthen because of lower feeder lamb prices with fewer feeder lambs going to feedlots.
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Sheep and lamb marketing channels are changing as well. The traditional marketing channel may expect further declines in volume while new and different marketing channels are emerging and growing stronger.
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2003. Final report: West Virginia lamb marketing information project.
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From page 35... ...
Accessed November 10, 2007.
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