LIVESTOCK HIGHLIGHTS 



CAHLE AND CALVES 



The inventory of cattle and calves in Massachusetts on January 1, 1982 totaled 96,000 head, 8 percent less 

 than January 1, 1981. This inventory consisted of 45,000 milk cows; 10,000 beef cows; 17,000 heifer 

 replacements; 6,000 steers and bulls and 18,000 calves. The current trend is for more beef cows and fewer 

 milk cows. The 1981 calf crop (calves born) of 45,000 head was unchanged from 1980. The inventory value 

 on January 1, 1982 averaged a record high value of $800 per head, $15 more than the previous year. With 

 the reduced inventory number, the value only totaled $76.8 million, 6 percent below the record total value 

 set on January 1 , 1981. 



The 1981 production of cattle and calves totaled 46,000 head with a total live weight of 24.0 million pounds, 

 1.4 million pounds less than 1980 production. Marketings in 1981 numbered 46,000 head of cattle and calves 

 at a total live weight of 25.6 million pounds, up 2.3 million pounds from 1980. 



SHEEP AND LAMBS 



Sheep and lamb inventory in Massachusetts on January 1, 1982 totaled 8,000 head, 11 percent above January 1, 

 1981 and the largest number since January 1, 1971. Sheep and lamb inventory numbers have been increasing 

 since 1979. Inventory value for the January 1, 1982 flock was a record high $872,000, up 38 percent from 

 January 1, 1981, due to increases in both inventory numbers and value per head. The January 1, 1982 value 

 per head was a record high $109, up from the $88 value per head on January 1, 1981. The lamb crop in 1981 

 totaled 6,800 head, up 21 percent from the lamb crop in 1980 and the largest lamb crop since 1969. 



The 1981 production of sheep and lambs numbered 4,800 head with a total live weight of 423,000 pounds, down 

 1 percent from the total live weight produced in 1980. Gross income from the 1981 sheep and lamb production 

 was a record high $286,000, up from the 1980 gross income of $268,000. Sheep and lamb marketings numbered 

 4,000 head at a total live weight of 207,000 pounds, down 31 percent from the live weight in 1980 and the 

 lowest since 1944. 



WOOL 



Wool production of 49,000 pounds in 1981 was up 2,000 pounds from the 1980 total and the largest production 

 since 1974. There were 7,000 head of sheep shorn in 1981, 200 above the 1980 total and the largest number 

 shorn since 1972. Weight per fleece averaged 7.0 pounds in 1981, up from the 6.9 pounds per fleece in 1980. 

 The value of wool production in 1981 was $44,000 or $3,000 more than in 1980 and the largest since 1957. 

 Farmers received a record 90t per pound for wool in 1981, up 2t per pound from the 884 per pound in 1980. 



