Changes in the Sheep Industry in the United States

The U.S. sheep industry is complex, multifaceted, and rooted in history and tradition. The dominant feature of sheep production in the United States, and, thus, the focus of much producer and policy concern, has been the steady decline in sheep and lamb inventories since the mid-1940s. Although often described as "an industry in decline," this report concludes that a better description of the current U.S. sheep industry is "an industry in transition."Table of Contents

• Front Matter
• Summary
• 1 Development and Structure of the U.S. Sheep Industry
• 2 The U.S. Live Sheep Industry
• 3 Sheep Health Issues
• 4 The U.S. Lamb Industry
• 5 The U.S. Wool Industry
• 6 The U.S. Dairy Sheep Industry
• 7 Alternative and Emerging Markets
• Appendix A: Committee Statement of Task
• Appendix B: Abbreviations and Acronyms
• Appendix C: Committee Member Biographies
• Appendix D: Recent Publications of the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources