Sheep kill: Increase in lamb supplies bumps up throughput

Last week’s sheep kill (week ending October 29) was up on the week before, hitting just under 62,500 head.

Figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) show that 62,482 sheep were processed last week, which is an increase of 1,694 head from the week prior.

Lamb supplies increased, however hogget and ewe throughput edged back.

Spring lamb supplies totalled 51,322 head, an increase of 2,370 head on the previous week; ewe and ram throughput tallied 10,838 head, a decrease of 447 on the week prior; and the number of hoggets processed also decreased to 332 head.

Week-on-week sheep kill (week ending October 29):

Hoggets: 322 head (-229 or -41.56%);
Ewes and rams: 10,838 head (-447 or -3.96%);
Spring lambs: 51,322 head (+2,370 or +4.84%);
Total: 62,482 head (+1,694 or +2.78%).

Sheep kill to date

Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 2,408,131 sheep have been processed so far.

Of that figure, 902,508 have been hoggets, 1,183,522 were spring lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (321,964) and a small portion of light lambs (137 head).

If we compare figures to date this year, against the same period in 2021, we can see that the total number of sheep slaughtered is up by over 158,375 head; 204,767 more hoggets have been processed, while ewe and ram throughput is up on last year’s levels by nearly 24,000 head.

Spring lamb throughput remains behind on this time last year by over 70,000 head.

Year-on-year sheep kill changes (week ending October 29):