Coronavirus could disrupt sheep or goat sales
Sheep and goat producers wanting to sell their animals should check with the establishment conducting the sale to make sure coronavirus precautions have not caused disruptions in operational hours or services.
The attraction of selling sheep or goats given current market conditions can be enticing.
Current prices for goats in the 40- to 60-pound range are averaging about $3.19 per pound in San Angelo, Texas. This figure is in line with March 2019 prices. Slaughter lambs in the 60- to 90-pound range are averaging $2.59 per pound, which is well above year-ago levels. San Angelo and New Holland, Pennsylvania, are the nation’s primary sheep and goat markets.
As with any animal agriculture enterprise, goat and sheep prices are influenced by the natural production cycle.
For example, in San Angelo, the high prices in the spring for meat goats are historically greater than 10% of the annual average, but in New Holland the high prices typically reach about 5% above the annual average. However, the seasonal price difference tends to be steadier and last longer in New Holland than in San Angelo.
