Sheep kill: Spring lamb throughput increases by over 6,000 head

Last week’s sheep kill (week ending May 30) saw an increase on the week before – up over 4,000 head, figures from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) reveal.

Of the sheep killed, spring lamb throughput continues to make up the bulk of the kill, as hogget supplies continue to tail off.

Furthermore, the ewe and ram kill for the week ending May 30, witnessed a sharp fall on the previous week.

For the week ending May 30, 46,928 sheep were processed – which was an increase of 4,030 head from the week before.

This increase was helped by a strong lamb kill, which was up over 6,000 head on the previous week.

The number of spring lambs slaughtered during the week ending May 30, accumulated to 35,848 head – which is an increase of 6,215 head on the previous week.

Ewe and ram throughput witnessed a sharp decrease, with a total of 5,553 head processed – down 1,528 head on the week before.

Hogget throughput for the week ending May 30, totalled 5,523 – back 659 head on the week previous.

WEEK-ON-WEEK SHEEP KILL (WEEK ENDING MAY 30):

Hoggets: 5,523 head (-659 or -10.65%);
Ewes and rams: 5,553 head (-1,528 or -21.57%);
Spring lambs: 35,848 head (+6,215 or +20.97%);
Total: 46,928 head (+4,030 or +9.39%).

Sheep kill to date

Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 948,771 sheep have been processed thus far.

Of that figure, 686,067 have been hoggets, while 146,015 have consisted of spring lambs.

Ewe and ram throughput makes up the rest at 116,587 head.

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 73,773 head.

88,355 fewer hoggets have been processed in comparison to the same period last year.

While 8,988 fewer ewes and rams have been slaughtered as well, with only spring lamb throughput seeing an increase on this time last year (up 23,496 head).