Livestock loss: USDA NASS releases 2024 Wyoming sheep and lamb loss report

On Feb. 14, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its annual report on sheep and lamb losses across the state of Wyoming for 2024. 

Information in the report was compiled from a survey conducted by the NASS Mountain Regional Field Office at the request of the Wyoming Wool Growers Association, which provided funding for the project. 

“The sheep and lamb survey utilized multi-frame sampling procedures and involved drawing a random sample from a list of livestock producers maintained by the USDA NASS Wyoming Field Office,” the agency explains. “In addition, sheep producers living in a selected sample area were interviewed. This procedure assures complete coverage of sheep producers by accounting for farmers and ranchers who may not be on the list.” 

Total loss

According to the report, the Jan. 1, 2024 sheep and lamb inventory numbered 320,000 head, and the 2024 lamb crop was estimated at 215,000 head.

Over the course of the year, Wyoming sheep producers lost a total 36,000 head to weather, predators, disease and other causes, representing a value of $8.25 million.

This is 9,000 head and 18.2 percent less than the 45,000 sheep and lambs and $10.08 million in value lost in 2023, respectively.

This number also represents 6.6 percent of the 2024 sheep and lamb supply – which includes the lamb crop plus lambs lost before docking – at 549,000 head.  

Additionally, the report highlights lambs lost prior to docking equaled 14,000 head; lambs lost after docking totaled 12,000 head and total sheep loss was reported at 10,000 head. 

Predator-caused losses

Predators were the leading cause of death across Wyoming sheep operations, accounting for 62.2 percent of all deaths and 4.1 percent of the state’s sheep and lamb supply. 

In fact, of the 36,000 total animals lost in 2024, NASS reports 22,400 head were lost to predators, up 1,100 head from last year. 

Lamb losses from all predators amounted to 18,400 head, down 1,300 head from a year ago, while sheep lost to all predators totaled 4,000 head, up 2,400 head from 2023. 

The report shows predator-caused losses resulted in an estimated $5.1 million lost in 2024, up 8.3 percent from 2023. 

NASS also notes coyotes remained the number one predator for both sheep and lamb loss in 2024, accounting for 65.6 percent of all predator-caused losses and 40.8 percent of all death loss in the state at a whopping 14,700 total head. The value of losses attributed to coyotes totaled $3.35 million. 

Other notable predator loss outlined in the report includes 3,400 head lost to eagles; 1,100 head lost to bears; 900 head lost to ravens; 800 head lost to mountain lions and 700 head lost to foxes.

Non-predatory loss

Additionally, NASS reports non-predatory losses accounted for 35.8 percent of all loss in the state of Wyoming, the equivalent of $3.15 million, down from the $5.37 million reported in 2023. 

The total amount of sheep lost to non-predatory causes totaled 13,600 head, down 4,400 head from 2023, while non-predatory losses also claimed 7,600 head of lambs, 5,700 head less than a year ago.

After predators, Wyoming’s harsh weather conditions claimed the most sheep and lambs, resulting in a total loss of 4,200 head, which is 5,700 head less than a year ago.

Other non-predatory causes of death include old age which claimed 1,800 head; lambing complications which claimed 1,400 head; poisoning which claimed 1,300 head; theft which claimed 700 head and disease and enterotoxaemia, both of which claimed 600 head each. 

Lambs lost to unknown causes totaled 2,500 head, up from the 1,900 head reported in 2023, while sheep lost to unknown causes was reported at 1,000 head, up from the 400 head the year prior.

Hannah Bugas is the managing editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.