Sheep Industry News March 2022

– at least at the end of 2021 – should translate to relatively tight lamb supplies. Prices of all the ma jor cuts have begun the year well above last year, and in line with the end of 2021. For example, the national lamb cutout value for the week ending Feb. 7 was $6.15 per pound compared to $6.14 the last week of December 2021 and $3.90 in Febru ary 2021. Live lamb prices are also starting the year on a high note. Heavyweight slaughter lambs at Sioux Falls, S.D., averaged $234 per cwt. for the first week of February and were $170 per cwt. a year ago. Lighter weight lambs in Texas, Colorado and South Dakota averaged $372 per cwt. in early Feb ruary compared to $240 at this point last year. While supplies indicate high prices might re main, high prices usually discourage consumption as consumers switch to lower-priced items. It’s been pretty well documented that lamb demand

SLAUGHTER LAMB PRICES Wooled, 110-130 lbs, Sioux Falls, Weekly

$ Per Cwt.

95 115 135 155 175 195 215 235 255 275 295

JAN

APR

JUL

OCT

Avg. 2016-20 2021 2022

Data Source: USDA-AMS Livestock Marketing Information Center

USDA retail price data suggests that while prices for racks are well above last year, major grocery store chains have increased featur ing. Barring a precipitous decline in consumption, on balance there should be support for continued high prices.

has fared well during the last two years of the pandemic. February was Lamb Lover's Month, and the Spring holidays are approaching. That usually provides a demand bump.

T he Animal and Plant Health Inspec tion Service's Wildlife Services is partnering with Utah State Univer sity and livestock producers in several states to evaluate the effectiveness of a new light deterrent – also known as a flashtag – that is attached to the ear of livestock to protect livestock predators. Results are expected later this year. In 2021, prototype flashtags were developed and tested on a band of sheep in Idaho. Tri als showed promising results. The tags were durable and undisruptive to the sheep, and might have deterred some predation. WS, Utah State Testing Flashtags them from predation. The nonlethal device only activates when it is dark and the animal is in rapid motion. This large-scale study will provide more information about the device’s effective ness and limitations for deterring livestock predation by wolves, coyotes and other

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