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Idaho sheep and lamb death loss

15,000 head

Sheep and lambs lost in Idaho, 2025 (estimate)

−3.2% since 2024 (15,500 head); −25.0% since 2015 (20,000 head); −25.0% since 2005 (20,000 head)

Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Sheep and Lamb Death Loss surveys. Data period 2025. Status: estimate. Published . Newest release as of ; next expected by February 2027.

Sheep (excluding lambs) plus lambs lost to all causes in the calendar year, after docking, as NASS Quick Stats publishes it.

Comparison

The latest figure, 2025, is the lowest in the series, which begins in 1988.

The largest category in death loss by cause is Coyotes at 6,200 head; next is Unknown Causes at 5,600 head.

Historical data

Idaho sheep and lamb death loss, 1988 to 2025Idaho sheep and lamb death loss, 1988 to 2025. 2 series. Sheep and lamb deaths: 33,000 in 1988, 15,000 in 2025.0100k200k300k400k20002020Sheep andlamb deathsSheep andlambinventory,January 1HeadIdaho sheep and lamb death loss, 1988 to 2025Idaho sheep and lamb death loss, 1988 to 2025. 2 series. Sheep and lamb deaths: 33,000 in 1988, 15,000 in 2025.0100k200k300k400k1990200020102020Sheep and lambdeathsSheep and lambinventory,January 1HeadIdaho sheep and lamb death loss, 1988 to 2025Idaho sheep and lamb death loss, 1988 to 2025. 2 series. Sheep and lamb deaths: 33,000 in 1988, 15,000 in 2025.0100k200k300k400k1990200020102020Sheep and lambdeathsSheep and lambinventory,January 1Head

Source: USDA NASS, Sheep and Lamb Death Loss surveys.

Data table (38 rows)
PeriodSheep and lamb deaths (head)Sheep and lamb inventory, January 1 (head)
198833,000324,000
198930,000287,000
199029,000286,000
199133,000272,000
199229,000273,000
199328,000265,000
199430,000266,000
199529,000270,000
199628,000273,000
199726,000285,000
199824,000285,000
199926,000265,000
200025,000275,000
200122,000275,000
200223,000260,000
200322,000260,000
200422,000260,000
200520,000270,000
200619,000260,000
200721,000250,000
200816,000235,000
200917,000210,000
201017,000220,000
201121,000235,000
201221,000240,000
201317,000235,000
201416,000250,000
201520,000260,000
201618,000255,000
201716,000250,000
201816,000235,000
201916,000220,000
202015,500230,000
202116,000230,000
202215,000235,000
202317,000235,000
202415,500235,000
202515,000235,000

Death loss by cause

Sheep and lamb deaths (including lambs lost before docking) attributed to each cause, exactly as NASS names it in the Idaho cause-of-death survey for that year. Published only for survey years 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2025.

Head

  1. Coyotes6,200
  2. Unknown Causes5,600
  3. Weather Conditions2,100
  4. Other Causes1,800
  5. Other/Unknown Predators1,300
  6. Lambing Complications1,200
  7. Old Age800
  8. Dogs700
  9. Enterotoxaemia700
  10. Disease500
  11. Poison300
  12. On Back200
  13. Ravens200
  14. Bears100
  15. Eagles100
  16. Foxes100
  17. Mountain Lions100

Source: USDA NASS, Sheep and Lamb Death Loss surveys.

Data table (17 rows)
Cause2025 (head)Share of total
Coyotes6,20028.2%
Unknown Causes5,60025.5%
Weather Conditions2,1009.5%
Other Causes1,8008.2%
Other/Unknown Predators1,3005.9%
Lambing Complications1,2005.5%
Old Age8003.6%
Dogs7003.2%
Enterotoxaemia7003.2%
Disease5002.3%
Poison3001.4%
On Back2000.9%
Ravens2000.9%
Bears1000.5%
Eagles1000.5%
Foxes1000.5%
Mountain Lions1000.5%

Value of death loss by cause

Dollar value of sheep and lamb losses attributed to each cause, as published by the NASS Idaho cause-of-death survey (the source reports thousands of dollars; this is that figure multiplied by 1,000). Published only for survey years 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2025.

Dollars

  1. Coyotes$1,618,000
  2. Unknown Causes$1,457,000
  3. Weather Conditions$547,000
  4. Other Causes$470,000
  5. Other/Unknown Predators$339,000
  6. Lambing Complications$313,000
  7. Old Age$206,000
  8. Dogs$183,000
  9. Enterotoxaemia$183,000
  10. Disease$129,000
  11. Poison$79,000
  12. On Back$52,000
  13. Ravens$52,000
  14. Bears$26,000
  15. Eagles$26,000
  16. Foxes$26,000
  17. Mountain Lions$26,000

Source: USDA NASS, Sheep and Lamb Death Loss surveys.

Data table (17 rows)
Cause2025 (usd)
Coyotes$1,618,000
Unknown Causes$1,457,000
Weather Conditions$547,000
Other Causes$470,000
Other/Unknown Predators$339,000
Lambing Complications$313,000
Old Age$206,000
Dogs$183,000
Enterotoxaemia$183,000
Disease$129,000
Poison$79,000
On Back$52,000
Ravens$52,000
Bears$26,000
Eagles$26,000
Foxes$26,000
Mountain Lions$26,000

Deaths per 1,000 head

63.8 per 1,000 in 2025 (estimate). Sheep and lamb deaths in the year per 1,000 head of the January 1 inventory of the same year, both from USDA NASS Quick Stats, computed by Understand Idaho.

Deaths per 1,000 head, 1988 to 2025Deaths per 1,000 head, 1988 to 2025. Sheep and lamb deaths per 1,000 head: 102 in 1988, 63.8 in 2025.608010012014020002020Per 1,000Deaths per 1,000 head, 1988 to 2025Deaths per 1,000 head, 1988 to 2025. Sheep and lamb deaths per 1,000 head: 102 in 1988, 63.8 in 2025.60801001201401990200020102020Per 1,000Deaths per 1,000 head, 1988 to 2025Deaths per 1,000 head, 1988 to 2025. Sheep and lamb deaths per 1,000 head: 102 in 1988, 63.8 in 2025.60801001201401990200020102020Per 1,000

Source: USDA NASS, Sheep and lamb deaths per 1,000 head (computed by Understand Idaho).

Data table (38 rows)
PeriodSheep and lamb deaths per 1,000 head (per 1,000)
1988101.9
1989104.5
1990101.4
1991121.3
1992106.2
1993105.7
1994112.8
1995107.4
1996102.6
199791.2
199884.2
199998.1
200090.9
200180.0
200288.5
200384.6
200484.6
200574.1
200673.1
200784.0
200868.1
200981.0
201077.3
201189.4
201287.5
201372.3
201464.0
201576.9
201670.6
201764.0
201868.1
201972.7
202067.4
202169.6
202263.8
202372.3
202466.0
202563.8

Source

Organization
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
Dataset
Sheep and Lamb Death Loss surveys
Geography
Idaho
Time coverage
1988-2025 (annual totals); 2016, 2018, 2023, 2025 (cause surveys)
Update frequency
Annual (Quick Stats totals); irregular, at intervals of several years (cause surveys)
Published
Newest release as of
; next expected by February 2027
Original file
https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/
Methodology
https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/
License
Public domain. U.S. federal government work; USDA NASS survey data are not subject to copyright.
Our copy
Sheep and Lamb Death Loss surveys

Caveats

  • The annual series counts lamb deaths after docking only; cause surveys also count pre-docking losses, so a survey total runs higher (22,000 versus 15,000 in 2025).
  • Cause surveys are irregular, not annual; only 2016, 2018, 2023 and 2025 are published for Idaho.
  • Wolves are a separate category in 2016, 2018 and 2023; in 2025 NASS folds them into 'Other/Unknown Predators' with bobcats, not a fall to zero.
  • NASS states that 'Unknown Causes', 25.5 percent of 2025 deaths, may include some predator loss.
  • NASS rounds each cause to the nearest 100 and does not force totals to reconcile; a residual is not assigned its own category.
  • The cause surveys come from standalone PDF reports on the Idaho publications page linked above, which Quick Stats does not carry.

Deaths per 1,000 head:

Organization
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
Dataset
Sheep and lamb deaths per 1,000 head (computed by Understand Idaho)
Geography
Idaho
Time coverage
1988-2025 (annual totals); 2016, 2018, 2023, 2025 (cause surveys)
Update frequency
Annual (Quick Stats totals); irregular, at intervals of several years (cause surveys)
Published
Newest release as of
; next expected by February 2027
Original file
https://quickstats.nass.usda.gov/
License
Public domain. U.S. federal government work; USDA NASS survey data are not subject to copyright.
Our copy
Sheep and lamb deaths per 1,000 head (computed by Understand Idaho)

Caveats

  • Computed by Understand Idaho from Sheep and Lamb Death Loss surveys; it is not a figure the publisher releases.

Inputs: Sheep and Lamb Death Loss surveys.

Cite as Understand Idaho, “Idaho sheep and lamb death loss”, https://understandidaho.com/land/sheep-death-loss/; cite the publisher above for the figures. See the data catalog.

This page was last updated .