Farm Type Guide

Sheep, Goats, and Fiber in New York

Sheep and goats do well on smaller acreage and hilly or rocky land, and they can bring in income from meat, milk, wool, fiber, and breeding stock. How to get started, the ID and processing rules you need to know, and the help available to veterans.

The Industry at a Glance

New York used to be sheep country. In 1840, the state's farms had about 5.1 million sheep. By 1945 that was down to about 252,000, and the 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 72,574 sheep and lambs on 1,627 farms.
The decline has continued in recent years. Sheep numbers fell from 86,286 in 2012 to 80,195 in 2017 and 72,574 in 2022, and the number of farms producing wool dropped from 1,144 in 2012 to 688 in 2022.
Goats have held fairly steady. In 2022, New York had 29,673 goats on 2,007 farms, compared with 30,490 goats on 2,192 farms in 2017. Meat goats are the largest group, followed by dairy goats and a small number of Angora goats raised for mohair.
Most New York flocks are small. A 2021 Cornell Small Farms article noted that only 39 of about 2,000 sheep operations in the state had more than 300 head. Hair sheep, which don't need shearing, are now counted separately, with 14,317 head on 368 farms in 2022.
Cornell's livestock program says the sheep and goat industries in New York are seeing a resurgence, driven by demand for sheep and goat milk products and by grazing sheep under large solar installations.

New York once kept more than five million sheep, and today’s flocks are a small fraction of that. If you’re a veteran interested in raising sheep, goats, or fiber animals, talk to us about joining the effort to bring this kind of farming back to New York.

Scrapie Tags and Moving Animals

New York requires official scrapie ID on every sheep and goat that changes owners, whether you buy, sell, give away, or donate it. The only exception is an animal going directly to slaughter, and there is no exception for young animals.
To get a flock or premises ID and official tags, call 1-866-USDA-TAG (866-873-2824). The National Scrapie Eradication Program offers up to 100 free plastic flock ID tags to first-time participants while funds last, but you have to buy the applicator yourself.
Official eartags, USDA 840 microchips, and official tattoos are all accepted for moving animals between farms. Tattoos and microchips are not official at general auction sales, so animals going to an auction need an official eartag.
Keep a record of every tag, tattoo, and microchip you put in your animals, and keep purchase and sale records for five years after a sale.
Taking animals to a state or county fair requires an intrastate certificate of veterinary inspection (AI-61) filled out by your veterinarian.

Processing and Selling Meat

Lamb, mutton, and goat meat sold by the cut must come from an animal slaughtered at a USDA-inspected plant. This applies to farmers markets, stores, restaurants, and online sales.
Not every plant handles small ruminants, and some have stopped seeking federal inspection for them. Call ahead to confirm a plant has sheep or goats on its approved slaughter list, and book your dates well before your animals are ready.
The other option is custom exempt processing. You sell a live animal, or a share of one, before slaughter, and the buyer has it processed for their own household. The meat can't be resold, and you can't sell individual cuts from a custom-processed animal.
Live animals can be priced by the head or by live weight. If you sell by the pound, you need a certified scale.
Cornell Small Farms keeps a New York slaughterhouse map that points to a directory of USDA, custom exempt, and other processors. Cornell's MeatSuite site helps New York customers find farms selling meat in bulk.

Organizations and Events

The Empire Sheep Producers Association is the industry organization representing New York sheep producers. Its website has a directory of New York sheep producers you can search by meat, fiber, or dairy, by county, and by breed, plus a list of shearers working in New York and the Northeast.
The New York State Sheep and Wool Festival has been held at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck for almost 50 years, every October. The 2026 festival is October 17 and 18, with a breed barn, a fleece show and sale, workshops, and a used equipment auction.
The Cornell Sheep and Goat Symposium is October 23 to 25, 2026, at Frank Morrison Hall on the Cornell campus in Ithaca. It's a good place to meet other producers and the state's small ruminant specialists.
The American Solar Grazing Association connects solar developers with farmers who graze sheep under solar panels, and offers grazier training. Cornell calls sheep the best-suited livestock for solar grazing.
American Sheep Industry Association is the national organization for sheep producers. It offers resources on sheep health, wool and pelts, and market prices, along with webinars, an annual convention, and directories of shearers, wool buyers, and processors.
National Sheep Improvement Program is a national genetic evaluation program for sheep. Member flocks submit performance records and receive estimated breeding values, with free flock recording software and training and mentoring from experienced breeders.
American Boer Goat Association is the national registry for Boer meat goats. It handles registration and DNA testing, sanctions shows, and offers goat care and management information, a gestation calculator, and USDA market reports.
The Livestock Conservancy is a national nonprofit focused on rare and heritage livestock breeds, including heritage sheep breeds raised for fiber. It keeps a breeders and products directory, offers microgrants, and shares guides on topics such as shearing.

Training and Help

Cornell PRO-Livestock has a New York State small ruminant extension specialist for sheep and goat questions, reachable at (607) 882-4772. The Cornell Sheep Program site has guides on feeding, health, breeding, and marketing, and a small ruminant email list where farmers trade advice.
Your county Cornell Cooperative Extension livestock educator is the best first local contact. Find yours on our regional resource pages.
Plan for parasites from the start. Regional surveys of sheep and goat farmers identify internal parasites as a major cause of animal deaths and lost production, and good grazing management is a big part of controlling them.
For structured training, look at Farm Ops through Cornell Small Farms, Armed to Farm, and SUNY Reconnect for free agriculture degrees.

Benefits for Veterans

How to Get Started

Decide first what you want to sell, whether that is meat, milk, wool or fiber, breeding stock, or grazing services. The choice drives your breed, your fencing, and your processing plans.
Spend time around working flocks before you buy. Visit the Sheep and Wool Festival, go to the Cornell symposium, or help a local farmer through lambing or kidding season.
Plan fencing, water, shelter, and predator protection, such as guardian dogs or donkeys, before animals arrive. Expect that it can take a season or more before you sell your first lambs or kids.
Get your flock ID and tags through 1-866-USDA-TAG, and buy healthy animals with health records and official ID from a breeder you trust.
Get a USDA farm number, file form CCC-860, and line up a processor well before your first animals are ready for market.

Key Links

Sources: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture (2012, 2017, and 2022, and the historical 1840 to 1945 sheep tables); NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets; USDA APHIS National Scrapie Eradication Program; Cornell PRO-Livestock and the Cornell Sheep Program; Cornell Small Farms Program; Empire Sheep Producers Association; New York State Sheep and Wool Festival; American Solar Grazing Association.