Sheep

 
 

Kentucky's Sheep Industry

When measured on January 1, 2023, there were approximately 58,000 heads of sheep and lambs in Kentucky.  In 2017 (Census), there were 2,011 farms with sheep and lambs in Kentucky. Wool sales were reported at $55 million in 2021.

While we typically think of sheep as producing wool, they are also raised for milk and meat (mutton and lamb)!  Mutton barbeque is predominately served in Western Kentucky, with Owensboro and the international barbeque festival being “Mutton Central.”  

Top sheep counties in Kentucky (per 2017 Census):

  1. Hart

  2. Breckinridge

  3. Mercer

  4. Shelby

  5. Pulaski

Source: National Agriculture Statistics Service and Economic Research Commission

 
 

Related Articles & Web Sites

Wool. Meat. Milk.

Like goats, sheep are a versatile commodity we enjoy in Kentucky. To learn more, contact the Kentucky Sheep and Goat Development Office by clicking the button below!

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From Polypay to White Dorper: Patience Pays Off
From Polypay to White Dorper: Patience Pays Off

In the early 2000s, sheep producers started looking to hair sheep breeds to make their meat flocks more adaptable. Unlike wool breeds, hair breeds naturally shed their coat, so farmers could produce a quality meat animal and not have to worry about the costs and labor associated with shearing.

Sheep and Goat Inventory Updated

According to the Kentucky Field Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service both sheep and lamb inventories and goat inventories decreased in Kentucky from last year.