Lamb Price
Statistics
Look Way Off

Somewhere statistics got out of balance in the sheep market price structure.

Comparing figures from this week with those of a year ago leaves one scratching his head. In spite of sheep and lamb slaughter running around eight percent less than last year, and at record low levels, practically every figure on the live end is sharply lower than a year ago while cutout values are showing black ink.

Recent cutout values of carcass lambs were at $193.88 and $198.98, or $7-12 above the same week a year ago. This week, carcass prices are $10-15 below a year ago on weights 75 pounds and down while weights over 75 pounds are unchanged to $8 above a year ago. From there it gets worse. Slaughter lamb prices are $15-20 below year-ago levels, except in Colorado where the carcass determines the price and it is only $11 below a year ago. Feeder lambs, the lifeblood of the industry, are anywhere from $20 to $30 below last year. Even cull ewes are off $1-16. Replacement ewes aren't a consideration, as few producers are looking for any kind of increased production now.

The big difference is in cutout values, which now indicate more than a $40 markup over carcass prices; last year it was mostly $20, with heavies $40. Perhaps they saw last year that the $40 markup worked on heavies so they would try it on all weights this year.

Not that it makes a difference, but lamb and mutton inspected for entry last week was the equivalent of around 30 percent of domestic production at 1.5 million pounds.

So what happened this week? All classes of sheep and lambs were basically steady, just a couple of dollars up and down here and there.

San Angelo feeder lambs weighing 40-70 pounds brought $70-76, 70-90 pounds $67-70, a few to $73 and 90-100 pounds $65-68.50. Fredericksburg light lambs made $75-80, heavies $65-70. Goldthwaite called 70-85 pound feeders $63.50-72. Junction lambs weighing 60-85 pounds made $65-68. Midwest markets quoted 60-80 pound feeders $62-67.50 and 80-100 pounds $58-63.50. Billings lambs of 65-80 pounds brought $70-72.75, 80-90 pounds $65-70 and 90-115 pounds $61.25-64.

Feeder lambs moving direct in West Texas and on up through the Mountain States sold mostly from $65 to $69, a few up to $75 and down to $62.

Slaughter lambs in San Angelo were $64.50-69. Goldthwaite reported a few fats at $60-64.50, and Midwest markets quoted 100-110 pound fat lambs $58-60, 110-120 pounds $60-62.75 and 120-145 pounds $62-64.

Fat lambs moving direct in West Texas brought $68. Idaho fats weighing 135-140 pounds made $68, and Midwest lambs moving direct were $60.

Fleshy slaughter ewes in San Angelo brought $27-30.50, fats stopping at $36. Midwest ewes were $22-25.

San Angelo had yearling stock ewes at $65 per head, mixed age ewes in Junction were $48-60, and yearling ewes in several mountain states were $125 per head, ewe lambs $75 cwt.