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Ever since the first Passover, roast lamb has been a traditional Easter meal. Normally the sheep industry picks up in terms of numbers in the early spring, but this year, sheep and goat buyer Maynard Thompson doesn’t have high hopes.
Unlike the cattle industry, most producers aren’t trying to increase herd sizes through the winter months, in part due to high feed costs. But another reason is the changing profile of a sheep farmer.
One that isn’t changing, according to Maynard, is the ideal Easter lamb. He says it’s about 40-50 pounds and still fat with its mother’s milk. Some people, he says, will wean the lamb 2 weeks before Easter, a practice he disagrees with because it loses its baby fat quickly. While Thompson is skeptical, experts predict the price of an Easter lamb this year could be as high as $2.50 per pound.
