USDA AMS · Auction Livestock
Religious and cultural holidays drive much of US lamb demand, and each favors a different size of lamb. See how slaughter lamb prices have moved in the weeks before each holiday since 2019, and what that pattern suggests for the next one.
American
Next: Thursday, November 26, 2026 · in 39 days
Lamb as an alternative to turkey or ham for some families.
Buyers want: Finished, 110 lb+
Slaughter lambs, 100–120 lb, all lambs · weekly, aligned to each year's holiday date
Over 7 years, 100–120 lb lambs averaged 2.7% higher in the 3 weeks before Thanksgiving than 5–8 weeks out, up in 7 of 7. The run-up has reliably paid; selling into the final three weeks has historically been rewarded.
Head-weighted average $/cwt. Baseline is 8 to 5 weeks before the holiday; run-up is the 3 weeks before it.
| Year | Holiday | Baseline | Run-up | Change | Run-up head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026upcoming | Nov 26 | $273.44 | — | — | — |
| 2025 | Nov 27 | $231.53 | $237.71 | +2.7% | 2,738 |
| 2024 | Nov 28 | $178.46 | $182.11 | +2.0% | 2,789 |
| 2023 | Nov 23 | $187.14 | $197.47 | +5.5% | 2,562 |
| 2022 | Nov 24 | $138.70 | $156.88 | +13.1% | 1,981 |
| 2021 | Nov 25 | $234.55 | $248.24 | +5.8% | 2,420 |
| 2020 | Nov 26 | $172.78 | $174.15 | +0.8% | 2,158 |
| 2019 | Nov 28 | $148.04 | $148.22 | +0.1% | 1,085 |
Source: USDA AMS auction livestock reports, slaughter sheep and lambs priced per hundredweight, weighted by head count. Ewes and bucks are excluded. Preferred weights are from Penn State Extension. The outlook moves this year's baseline price by the smallest and largest of past years' baseline-to-run-up changes. It reflects how the season has usually played out, holiday and seasonal supply together, and is not a forecast. Holiday dates for lunar calendars may differ by a day from local observance.