In 2024, New Zealand farmed approximately 23.6 million sheep for meat and wool production. An additional 30,000 sheep were farmed for their milk. Like dairy cows and all animals farmed for their milk, these sheep have their lambs taken away shortly after birth, so their milk can be harvested for human consumption. Farmed sheep, like all exploited animals, live only a fraction of their natural lifespan. Of the total number farmed, over 18 million sheep slaughtered in 2024 were lambs.