Texas sheep, goat prices, inventories down slightly amid strong market

SAN ANGELO – Markets for goat and sheep meat and fiber continue to be relatively strong despite softening prices and lower inventories, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service expert

Bill Thompson, AgriLife Extension economist, San Angelo, said production data from the sheep and goat fiber and meat markets reveal mixed signals about their place among Texas livestock

Sheep and goat numbers are down, but prices remain high relative to their respective five-year averages and demand for meat, hair and wool continues to grow

Sheep

Sheep inventories are down in the U S and in Texas, according to U S Department of Agriculture data, as markets for lamb meat and wool continue to perform well, Thompson said. Lamb prices are down slightly, but consumers in traditional ethnic markets and emerging markets continue an upward demand trend

“Whether you’re talking about chops or ground meat, most large grocers have lamb on hand because of its popularity,” he said Wool prices have dipped some since record highs of around $7 per pound in 2018, but remain very strong at more than $6 50 per pound, Thompson said. Production of wool also dipped slightly

Thompson said the dip in sheep inventories for meat and wool and the subsequent dip in prices are surprising because of price strength and consumer demand

“We would expect wool production and sheep numbers to come back because wool prices are so strong,” he said “The decreases are not big, but they are still decreases You would think the market would take account of the strong prices and grow the production side of the market ”

Thompson said the Rambouillet market dropped significantly, and they were replaced with hair sheep Labor costs associated with shearing Rambouillets and better parasite tolerance in hair sheep likely contributed to the change, he said

Goats

Texas continues to be the top producer of goats by a large margin, Thompson said Texas’ goat herd as of Jan 1 was estimated at 740,000 and is larger than the next 10 states combined, which have a total of 631,000 goats

But the state’s inventory of meat and mohair goats fell 3 percent from 2018, he said. The total U.S. inventory fell 1 percent to just over 2 million animals

U S mohair production was up 2 percent to 755,000 pounds in 2018, Thompson said, with 62 percent of production coming from Texas

“The goat markets were banner for the last few years, but inventories keep dropping,” Thompson said “Imports and the value of the dollar may have something to do with that, but there is still room for producers to pencil out pretty good profits ”

One possible deterrent for goat producers, especially those new to the industry, could be the animals’ propensity for escape, property damage and general “mischievousness,” he said

Predation also continues to be a top concern for sheep and goat producers, Thompson said Producers south and west of San Angelo have faced challenging losses by incorporating management practices, including the use of guardian dogs

“It’s been tough, but producers are getting better results with guardian dogs,” he said “They will have a huge impact on the industry, but it’s just taking time for producers to learn how to train them and use them effectively”

Despite weakening price trends and lower inventories, Thompson said he expects demand for sheep and goat meat and their respective fibers to continue an upward trend

“There is high demand for wool and mohair for clothing, especially high-end, high-quality natural fabrics,” he said “Consumers want natural They want environmentally friendly and sustainable along with quality The market for meats continues to grow as well as traditional consumers are wanting more while new consumers are trying those meats and making them trendy”

AgriLife Extension district reporters compiled the following summaries:

CENTRAL: Conditions were good with adequate moisture More rainfall was received across the district Rains hindered plantings by farmers, but some greening was seen in Bermuda grass Pastures were in good to fair condition with a lot of clover and spring grasses Wheat continued to look good across the district Stripe rust was found in many fields, and instances of powdery mildew were also reported Extremely cold temperatures and hard freezes were in the forecast Cold temperatures were expected to impact early blooming varieties of this year’s peach crop Damage to some small-grain crops was expected Livestock were in good condition Corn planting began on a limited basis Stock tanks were full Nearly all counties reported good soil moisture and good overall rangeland, pasture and crop conditions.

ROLLING PLAINS: Near-record low temperatures and wind chills were reported Some moisture was received with the cold front Pastures and rangelands were in poor to fair condition Calving season was almost complete Cattle were turned out on winter wheat fields, which were mostly in fair to good condition Colder conditions and extremely windy conditions made it difficult for farmers to plow and prepare for planting

COASTAL BEND: Extreme wet conditions halted or delayed most fieldwork Local row-crop producers were expected to need two to three weeks of dry conditions before fieldwork could resume Some corn and sorghum fields were planted before rains and colder temperatures arrived Some corn was planted into shredded cotton stalks Growers were waiting for warmer conditions before planting cotton Rangeland and pasture conditions continued to improve but were extremely wet with standing water reported in many areas. Hay producers were fertilizing as soil moisture allowed Pastures were greening up and full of winter weeds Hay and supplemental feeding continued. Livestock showed signs of reduced body conditions, but were expected to improve rapidly with the onset of warmer, drier conditions

EAST: Dreary, wet conditions persisted across the district with more rain in the forecast Flooding of rivers and lakes continued Soils were too wet for any activity. Pasture and rangeland conditions were mostly fair to good Subsoil and topsoil conditions were adequate to surplus Tractors were getting stuck in many counties Producers were still running low on or out of hay Some Anderson County producers were buying corn stalk bales Ryegrass was greening up Cherokee County producers were grazing cattle more and slowing down on feeding their herds Cattle were in fair to good condition Sale numbers were way down at sale barns in Houston County Wild pigs continued to cause problems

SOUTH PLAINS: Subsoil and topsoil moisture levels remained very dry due to lack of moisture and windy conditions

Temperatures dropped, and there was a slight chance of rain in the forecast Producers were preparing for spring planting Winter wheat, pastures and rangeland needed moisture Cattle were in good condition

PANHANDLE: Much of the district continued to suffer from lack of moisture and drought conditions, although the northwest corner of the district received some moisture. Winter wheat continued to struggle without rain or snowfall events, and some producers were running irrigation systems to help Producers with wheat fields across the district were deciding whether to continue grazing cattle for gains or to pull them off to grow grain Producers were top dressing with fertilizer and spraying wheat for weeds where there was moisture Preplant fieldwork for summer crops was underway Ranchers across the district were supplementing cattle as pastures and cattle conditions declined

NORTH: Most counties reported adequate to surplus topsoil page 20