Last week’s sheep kill (week ending September 12) saw a very marginal increase on the week before – up 221 head – figures from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) reveal.

Looking at the figures in more detail, for the week ending September 12, 64,197 sheep were processed – which was an increase of 221 head from the week before.

The number of lambs slaughtered during the week ending September 12, accumulated to 55,444 head – which is an increase of 289 head from the week previous.

Ewe and ram throughput totalled 8,681 head – which is up ever so slightly by 10 head.

WEEK-ON-WEEK SHEEP KILL (WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 12):
  • Hoggets: 72 head (-78 or -52%);
  • Ewes and rams: 8,681 head (+10 or +0.11%);
  • Spring lambs: 55,444 head (+289 or +0.52%);
  • Total: 64,197 head (+221 or +0.34%).

Sheep kill to date

Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 1,835,517 sheep have been processed thus far.

Of that figure, 696,646 have been hoggets, while 905,693 have consisted of lambs.

Ewe and ram throughput makes up the rest at 233,061 head.

Source: DAFM

If we compare figures to date this year, against the same period in 2020, we can see that the total number of sheep slaughtered is back 98,962 head.

91,227 fewer hoggets have been processed in comparison to the same period last year and 13,226 fewer ewes and rams have been slaughtered as well.

However, spring lamb throughput is up on the same period in 2020 by 5,425 head.

YEAR-ON-YEAR SHEEP KILL CHANGES (WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 12):
  • Lambs/hoggets: 696,646 head (-91,227 or -12%);
  • Spring lambs: 905,693 head (+5,425 or +1%);
  • Ewes and rams: 233,061 head (-13,226 or -5%);
  • Total: 1,835,517 head (-98,962 or -5%).
SHEEP KILL