Last week’s sheep kill (week ending July 11) saw a small increase on the week before – up over 400 head, figures from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) reveal.

For the week ending July 11, 58,421 sheep were processed – which was an increase of 456 head from the week before.

The number of lambs slaughtered during the week ending July 11, accumulated to 49,992 head – which is back ever so slightly from the week previous.

Ewe and ram throughput totalled 7,917 head – up by 1,239 head on the week before.

Hogget throughput for the week ending July 11, decreased to 512 head – back from 1,198 head on the week previous.

WEEK-ON-WEEK SHEEP KILL (WEEK ENDING JULY 11):
  • Hoggets: 512 head (+686 or -57%);
  • Ewes and rams: 7,917 head (+1,239 or +18.55%);
  • Spring lambs: 49,992 head (-97 or -0.19%);
  • Total: 58,421 head (+456 or +0.78%).

Sheep kill to date

Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 1,274,768 sheep have been processed thus far.

Of that figure, 694,370 have been hoggets, while 425,961 have consisted of lambs.

Ewe and ram throughput makes up the rest at 154,332 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 nearly 103,000 head.

91,373 fewer hoggets have been processed in comparison to the same period last year.

While 17,138 fewer ewes and rams have been slaughtered as well, with only spring lamb throughput seeing an increase on this time last year (up 5,572 head).

YEAR-ON-YEAR SHEEP KILL CHANGES (WEEK ENDING JULY 11):
  • Lambs/hoggets: 694,370 head (-91,373 or -12%);
  • Spring lambs: 425,961 head (+7,572 or +1%);
  • Ewes and rams: 154,332 head (-17,138 or -10%);
  • Total: 1,274,768 head (-102,875 or -7%).
SHEEP KILL