Sheep and Goat Production

Sheep and Goat Production

Discussing current topics in Ontario sheep and goat production

All posts in Statistics

State of the Ontario Sheep Industry Fall 2025

State of the Ontario Sheep Industry Fall 2025

Posted on Author Kristy BlankersPosted in StatisticsLeave a Reply

Original article written by Christopher Llewellyn and Delma Kennedy and updated by Kristy Blankers and Delma Kennedy. Highlights Market Demand Inventory Trends Market Prices Lamb Supply Slaughter and Trade Wool Market Demand Domestic Protein Demand In Canada, the average annual consumption of various animal proteins reveals distinct dietary preferences. Figure 1 shows that poultry leads with poultry at 40.79kg per person, followed by beef at 16.77 kg and pork at 15.63 kg. Eggs also contribute significantly to the diet, with an average consumption of 21.73 dozen.  Lamb and mutton, however, account for a small share, averaging just 1.09 kg per person per year. Comparing this to the previous year, when lamb and mutton consumption was 0.94 kg, there has been an…

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State of the Ontario Sheep Industry

Posted on Author Delma KennedyPosted in Statistics, UncategorizedLeave a Reply

By Christopher Llewellyn and Delma Kennedy. This article provides an overview of the state of the Ontario sheep industry as of Fall 2024. Highlights Market Demand Inventory Trends Market Prices Lamb Supply Slaughter and Trade Wool Market  Demand Domestic Protein Demand In Canada, the average annual consumption of various animal proteins reveals distinct dietary preferences. Figure 1 reveals that poultry leads with 41.27 kg per person per year, followed by pork at 17.38 kg and beef at 16.23 kg. Fish and eggs also contribute significantly to the diet, with average consumptions of 7.76 kg and 21.21 dozen, respectively. Lamb and mutton, however, account for a smaller share, averaging just 0.94 kg per person per year. Comparing this to the previous…

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Artificial Lamb Rearing: Part 2 – A Producer Project

Posted on Author Jillian CraigPosted in Health & Nutrition, StatisticsLeave a Reply

From March to August 2022 an on-farm project examining artificial rearing systems specifically focused on milk machines and lamb performance was conducted on several Ontario farms. The project had three main objectives: lamb productivity, rearing cost, and producer labour. Six farms participated in the project. Two farms had Lac-Tek milk machines and four farms had Eco Feeders also commonly known as Förster-Technik and / or Grober. The results will be presented in a series of articles; this article will focus on producer labour. A previous article can be found in the December 2022 Ontario Sheep News for context as well as information on farm specific set-ups, machine cleaning and milk replacer cost.   Producer Labour  Labour was the most variable…

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The Ontario Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management estimates that barn fires cost Ontario farmers more than $25 million per year (2012-2014 average)

Posted on Author Delma KennedyPosted in Housing, Risk Prevention, StatisticsLeave a Reply

Do you know what to do in the event of a farm emergency? Do you know what to do if you have deadstock to manage? Barn fires, natural disasters, equipment failures and diseases are devastating events for farmers, their families and workers, and the neighbouring community. Planning ahead to reduce risks, and preventing accidents with a safe operation will help to protect employees, family members and animals. Emergency events can cause substantial loss to a farm operation and create unique challenges for farmers, including disposing of large volumes of deadstock. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has a regulation that gives you options for deadstock management. These options help to protect water quality, reduce environmental impacts…

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Sheep Statistics Highlights 2012

Posted on Author Delma KennedyPosted in StatisticsLeave a Reply

Sheep and Lambs on Farm Overall there was a small increase in the Canadian flock size as of January 1st and July 1st, 2012.  As of January 1, 2012, farmers reported that the number of sheep and lambs on Canadian farms increased 1.4% to 892 thousand head from the same date in 2011. As of July 1, 2012, farmers reported that the number of sheep and lambs on Canadian farms increased 0.6% to 1.15 million head from the same date in 2011.  In Ontario the increase was 1.1% to a total of 364 thousand head.  The tables below illustrate the flock numbers by year and province since 2007 at the time of the January 1st survey and the July 1st…

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