The national sheep kill for the week ending December 20, 2015 was up by 1,601 head on the corresponding period last year, figures from the Department of Agriculture show.
Throughput of sheep to factories last week stood at 2.527m, just slightly ahead of last year’s 2.525m.
Total spring lamb throughput is up 6% on 2014 levels, with 1.58m head going to the factories as of the week ending December 20, 2015.
Cumulatively, the number of hoggets going to the factories for the week ending December 20, 2015 stood at 639,879 head back 6% on 2014 levels.
There was 11% less ewes and rams killed for the week ending December 20, compared to the corresponding period last year.
Some 305,616 head of ewes and rams have gone to the factories so far this year.
The total number of light lambs slaughtered remains back on last year, with 1,119 head less going to the factories as of December 20, on last year.
Weekly sheep kill differences
On a weekly basis, for the week ending December 20, 2015 some 53,449 sheep went to the factories.
The weekly sheep throughput is back 2% on the previous week.
Looking at the spring lamb throughput, throughput is back 5% on the previous week, with a throughput of 46,105 head.
The number of lambs/hoggets that went to the factories for the week ending December 20, 2015 was 400 head.
Light lamb throughput last week was 303 head, back 31% on the previous week.
For the week ending December 20, 2015, the ewe and ram kill was 6,641, up 16% on the previous week.
