The U.S. sheep industry is complex, multifaceted, and rooted in history and tradition. The dominant feature of sheep production in the United States, and, thus, the focus of much producer and policy concern, has been the steady decline in sheep and lamb inventories since the mid-1940s. Although often described as "an industry in decline," this report concludes that a better description of the current U.S. sheep industry is "an industry in transition."

The wolrd's sheep industry: Kansas as a sheep state, the sheep man, types of sheep, breeds of sheep; The farm flock: native ewes, western ewes, rams, care of the flock, feeding ewe flocks, lambing time, feeding lambs, docking and castrating lambs, weaning lambs, shipping to market, shearing and wool, culling the flock; Pastures for sheep; Shelter and equipment for sheep.

Chapters: sheep production systems; crossbreeding and selection; using production records to help develop a more profitable flock; national sheep improvement program; ram testing; considerations during the breeding season; sheep health management; common sheep diseases; parasite control; foot health; nutrition; ewe management during gestation, lambing and lactation; artificial rearing of lambs; feeding and management of lambs to weaning and from weaning to market; feeding replacement lambs; breeding ewe lambs; management on pasture; sheep handling facilities; lamb marketing; lamb carcass shows; and wool production and marketing.