The national sheep kill for the week ending December 6, 2015 was back 5,010 head on the corresponding period last year, figures from the Department of Agriculture show.

Throughput of sheep to factories last week stood at 2.41m, just slightly back on last year’s 2.42m.

Total spring lamb throughput is up 6% on 2014 levels, with 1.48m head going to the factories as of the week ending December 6, 2015.

Cumulatively, the number of hoggets going to the factories for the week ending December 6, 2015 stood at 639,438 head back 6% on 2014 levels.

There was 12% less ewes and rams killed for the week ending December 6 compared to the corresponding period last year.

Some 293,264 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 1,180 head less going to the factories as of December 6, on last year.

weekly sheep graph

Weekly Sheep Kill Differences

On a weekly basis, for the week ending December 6, 2015 some 51,629 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 2% on the previous week at 44,931 head.

The number of lambs/hoggets that went to the factories for the week ending December 6, 2015 was 53 head, back 51% on the corresponding period for the previous week.

Light lamb throughput last week was 15 head, back 79% on the previous week.

For the week ending December 6, 2015, the ewe and ram kill was 6,630, back 5% on the previous week.

sheep kill