Sheep farming
Sheep rearing is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin and parchment.
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Sheep production worldwide
According to the FAOSTAT database of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the top five countries by number of heads of sheep (average from 1993 to 2013) were: mainland China (146.5 million heads), Australia (101.1 million), India (62.1 million), Iran (51.7 million), and the former Sudan (46.2 million).[1]
In 2013, the five countries with the largest number of heads of sheep were mainland China (175 million), Australia (75.5 million), India (53.8 million), the former Sudan (52.5 million), and Iran (50.2 million). In 2013, the number of heads of sheep were distributed as follows: 44% in Asia, 28.2% in Africa; 11.2% in Europe, 9.1% in Oceania, 7.4% in the Americas.[1]
The top producers of sheep meat (average from 1993 to 2013) were as follows: mainland China (1.6 million); Australia (618,000), New Zealand (519,000), the United Kingdom (335,000), and Turkey (288,857).[1] The top five producers of sheep meat in 2013 were mainland China (2 million), Australia (660,000), New Zealand (450,000), the former Sudan (325,000), and Turkey (295,000).[1]
U.S. sheep production
In the United States, inventory data on sheep began in 1867, when 45 million head of sheep were counted in the United States.[2] The numbers of sheep peaked in 1884 at 51 million head, and then declined over time to almost 6 million head.[2]
Since the 1960s, per capita consumption of lamb and mutton declined from nearly 5 pounds to just about 1 pound, due to competition from poultry, pork, beef, and other meats.[2] Since the 1990s, U.S. sheep operations declined from around 105,000 to around 80,000 due to shrinking revenues and low rates of return.[2] According to the Economic Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, the "sheep industry accounts for less than 1 percent of U.S. livestock industry receipts."[2]
See also
- Crutching
- Dolly (sheep)
- Domestic sheep reproduction
- Glossary of sheep husbandry
- Guard llama
- Jacob
- Lamb marking
- List of sheep breeds
- Livestock guardian dog
- Mulesing
- Patagonian sheep farming boom
- Sheep shearing
- Shepherd
- Transhumance
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 FAOSTAT database.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Sheep, Lamb & Mutton: Background, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service (last updated May 26, 2012).
External links
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons- Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons
- Sheep at DMOZ
