Total number of sheep and lambs in the U.S. 2001-2024

In the United States there were about 5.03 million head of sheep and lambs as of 2024. This figure has been dropping steadily over the last several years. To put this in perspective; in 2001, there were nearly seven million sheep and lambs in the United States. Sheep and lambs in the United StatesSheep are wonderful livestock in that they serve multiple purposes; they produce wool and milk, they are an easy and natural way to clear away shrubbery and keep grass short as a fire safety measure, and they can be slaughtered for their meat. The value of sheep varies considerably from year to year, but in 2019 an average head of sheep in the United States was valued at 203 U.S. dollars, down from 214 U.S. dollars in 2015. U.S. wool productionWool has many benefits over other varieties of textile material. In addition to being all-natural and biodegradable, it has thermal insulation properties and gives off very little static electricity. In 2019, the United States produced some 45.36 million U.S. dollars worth of shorn wool. The number of sheep and lambs shorn in the United States has seen a sharp decline in the last two decades.

截至2024年，美国羊羔及绵羊数量约为503万头。这一数字在过去几年中持续稳步下降。为使这一数据更具可比性，回顾2001年，美国羊羔及绵羊数量接近700万头。在美国，绵羊是一种多功能的优良牲畜；它们产出羊毛和乳制品，是清除灌木丛、保持草地短小以防火的自然且便捷方式，并且可用于屠宰以获取肉食。绵羊的价值年度间波动较大，但截至2019年，美国每头绵羊的平均价值为203美元，较2015年的214美元有所下降。美国羊毛生产方面，羊毛相较于其他纺织材料具有诸多优势。除了其天然、可生物降解的特性外，还具有优良的保温性能，且几乎不产生静电。2019年，美国生产的剪羊毛价值约为4536万美元。在过去二十年里，美国剪羊毛的羊羔及绵羊数量经历了急剧的下降。