Utah Farmers, ranchers lose millions of dollars in sheep

Utah farmers and ranchers lost 45,000 sheep and lambs to all causes in 2011, valued at $8.3 million. Lambs lost before docking totaled 18,000, lambs lost after docking totaled 15,000 and sheep one-year-old and older lost totaled 12,000 head. Weather conditions accounted for 31 percent of all lambs lost before docking. This accounted for the largest single cause of death in lambs before docking. Coyotes were a close second at 26 percent of losses before docking. Coyotes accounted for the largest number of lambs lost after docking at 46 percent. Daily Herald