Strong price performance, greener pastures and easing of input costs point to a favourable year.
“The Alberta lamb cohort is expected to remain stable in 2024, although slightly smaller than 2023,” says Ann Boyda, provincial livestock market analyst with the Alberta government. “With the strong price performance, greener pastures in most locales, and easing of input costs, 2024 is adding up to a favourable year, if weather events permit.”
According to data published by Statistics Canada, Alberta supply of sheep and lamb exhibited an annual growth over the 2019 to 2022 period but fell in 2023. As of January 1, 2024, the provincial flock was 170,100 head, down 2% from the same period a year ago. “A closer look at the last half of the year identifies fewer imports of live sheep and lamb into Alberta,” states Boyda. “We had approximately 400 fewer head of sheep and lamb imported over the period of July to December 2023 when we compare it to the same period in 2022.”
Figure 1. Alberta supply of sheep and lamb
The last half of 2023 also saw fewer total slaughter volumes, down 3.3% from same period in 2022, primarily attributed to the lack of international imports of sheep for slaughter (4,900 head). Federal and provincial slaughter volume was higher for the July to December period in 2023 than 2022 by an estimated 2,600 head. Interprovincial exports rose by 3,900 head and deaths and condemnations were estimated to be 400 head more for the same period.
Figure 2. Alberta disposition of sheep and lamb
The weekly Alberta live price equivalent for sheep demonstrates the strong price performance. More recent market volatility has been experienced with record prices peaking at $347.71/cwt for the week of April 19, 2024, having risen from the start of the year at $236.23/cwt.
Figure 3. Alberta live weight price equivalent
“Prices at the auction markets continue to show greater volatility,” concludes Boyda, “with the ewe flock a driving indicator for the sheep sector.”
Statistics Canada’s January 1 ewe inventory numbers show that the peak number of ewes on Alberta farms was in 2022 at 129,300 head. The ewe numbers subsequently declined to a low of 84,300 head by 2008 and have since proceeded on a slow increase to the 2023 inventory of 100,500 ewes. January 1, 2024 inventory reported a slight decrease to 98,700 head but still relatively stable over the last 5 years. Strong prices were also reflected in the price of ewes. For the period of January through June 7, 2024, ewe prices ranged from average low of $1.15/pound to $1.84/pound, representing 6% to 12% higher than the respective 5-year averages.
Contact
Connect with Ann Boyda for more information:
Phone: 780-422-4088
- Intro to Dairy Sheep Farming
- A Guide to Raising Dairy Sheep
- Flock Health Management for Dairy Sheep
- Normal Lactation
- Flock Health Management
- Mastitis Costs, Signs of Mastitis, Cause of Mastitis, Important Risk Factors for Mastitis, Detect Mastitis in an Individual Sheep, Detection of Mastitis using Pooled Milk Samples, Culture Results, Assessment Table, Treating mastitis in a lactating dairy ewe, Dry period management of mastitis, Environmental Control of mastitis, Controlling a staphlococcus aureus mastitis problem in a flock, When should eewes be culled because of mastitis?, Genetic selection for resistence to mastitis,
- Eradication of maedi visna from the flock
- Preparing for Milking, Milking Management attaching of Teat Cups, Recommendations During Milking, Removal of the Milking Unit, Hand Milking, Teat Dipping, Milking Order
- Parlours, The Basics of Cleaning Milking Equipment, Set-Up and Inspection of Milking Equipement
- Milk Quality, Somatic Cell Count, Bacterial Contamination of milk, Freezing Point, Detection of inhibitors and other chemicals, Milk Odour, Veterinary drugs approved for use in lactating dairy sheep, Detecting residues of drugs and chemicals in milk, Avoiding residues of drugs and chemicals in milk, Organic milk production
- Word or phrase definitions
- Monitoring and goal setting
- References and additional reading materials
- Quiz and answers
- A Publication of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
- DSANA 2015 Symposium Information
Welcome! If you are looking for more information on Alberta Lamb, you have come to the right place.
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All livestock producers will eventually face a situation when euthanizing a compromised animal is the most humane option. Effectively and safely performing euthanasia on-farm when needed decreases animal suffering and helps maintain a high level of animal welfare.
Based on the Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Sheep, the ALP On-Farm Euthanasia manual provides information regarding:
- Guidelines on making the decision to perform on-farm euthanasia.
- Approved methods of euthanasia for different ages of sheep.
- Handling of deadstock
ALP has scheduled two nutrition webinars with Dale Engstrom. Dale has an extensive background as a producer, ruminant nutritionist with Alberta Agriculture, sheep industry consultant and columnist for Sheep Canada magazine. Please join Dale and ALP for the following free webinars!
Getting Lambs on Feed & Water. Saturday, August 26, 2017. 11 am - 12 pm.
Feed and Water Testing: Why bother? Saturday, September 16, 2017. 11 am - 12 pm.
Premises Identification became mandatory in Alberta on January 1, 2009
Premises identification is a way of linking farm animals to geographic locations for disease, health and food safety purposes and effective emergency response.
If you are an owner of livestock in Alberta you are required to obtain a Premises Identification (PID) account and register at least one premises in order to obtain a PID number. A PID number is a unique identifying number assigned to a specific piece of property. If you operate co-mingling sites (a site where animals of more than one owner are housed together) you are also required to obtain a PID account, register the site(s) and inform the animal owners of the PID number.
In Alberta, reportable livestock include: cattle, dairy, bison, hogs, sheep, goats, horses, cervids, poultry, llama, alpaca, ostrich, emu, ducks and other game fowl.
This list supports the reportable and notifiable disease regulation that mitigates threats to market access, the economy and/or public health. The list of Alberta's reportable and notifiable diseases are available for review on-line.
There are two ways to apply for a premises identification number to register on-line or to obtain an on-line registration form visit: www.agriculture.alberta.ca/premises
Or you can obtain a paper application form from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) or AFSC offices located throughout Alberta. For further information on the Premises Identification Program contact the Ag-Info Centre at 310-FARM (3276). If you want to check on the progress of your PID application, call 780 422 9167.
You will need to provide your PID when purchasing Canadian Sheep Identification Program tags, taking animals to auction and to buy animal medications.
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An online survey is available to help set national priorities developing A Food Policy for Canadaregarding food production, including supports for new producers and environmental concerns. Read the Agriculture Canada Press Release below.