The supply of spring lambs for processing has doubled over the course of a week, rising to over 7,000 head, according to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
While it is early in the year and supplies of this year’s crop of lambs are expected to be low, last week, during week 18 (ending Sunday, May 5), a total of 7,106 spring lambs were slaughtered.
When compared to the previous week, when 3,157 spring lambs were slaughtered, this represents an increase of 3,949 head.
Such an increase was not seen in the supply of lambs and hoggets, as 27,770 head were slaughtered during week 18, slightly fewer than the 27,907 processed in week 17.
There have been 81,558 fewer lambs/hoggets slaughtered to date this year, when compared to the same week last year.
The table below gives an overview of the sheep kill for week 18 (ending Sunday, May 5) and the cumulative kill to date this year, compared to the same time period in 2023.
Type 2024
week 182024 cumulative 2023 weekly 2023 cumulative Weekly
differenceCumulative difference 24 vs. 23 % weekly difference 24 vs. 23 % cumulative difference Lambs/hogget 27,770 769,861 32,244 851,419 -4,474 -81,558 -14% -10% Spring lambs 7,106 24,082 10,701 30,132 -3,595 -6,050 –34% –20% Ewes and rams 3,687 84,713 4,955 95,048 -1,268 -10,335 -26% -11% Light lambs 2 59 7 96 -5 -37 -71% -39% Total 38,565 878,715 47,907 976,695 -9,342 -97,980 -20% -10%
The overall supply of sheep to-date in 2024 is 10% behind the same period in 2023, with each category of sheep (lambs/hoggets, spring lambs, ewes and rams, and light lambs) being lower this year compared to last year.
24.9% of the throughput last week were spring lambs, making up 7,106 of the 28,565 sheep slaughtered.
However, a year ago, 10,701 spring lambs were slaughtered during the same week.
The contrast in the current supplies of sheep this week compared to this time last year can clearly be seen in the graph below.
Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 878,715 sheep have been processed so far.
Of that figure, 769,861 have been lambs/hoggets, 24,082 were spring lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (84,713), and a small portion of light lambs (59).
Up to the same period last year, of the 976,695 sheep slaughtered at that stage of 2023, 851,419 were lambs/hoggets, 30,132 were spring lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (95,048), and light lambs (96).