Sheep kill: Throughput falls back under 50,000 head for last week

Last week’s sheep kill (week ending January 22) saw a decrease of 2,963 head on the previous week, figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) reveal.

Looking at the figures in more detail, for the week ending January 22, 49,422 sheep were processed – a decrease of 2,963 head from the week before.

The number of lambs/hoggets slaughtered during the week ending January 22, came to 43,322 head, which is a decrease of 3,065 head from the week previous.

Ewe and ram throughput witnessed a marginal increase of 99 head, totalling 6,197 head for the week ending January 22.

Week-on-week sheep kill (week ending January 22):

Hoggets/lambs: 43,322 head (-2,965 or -6.4%);
Ewes and rams: 6,197 head (-99 or -6.97%);
Total: 49,422 head (-2,963 or -5.65%).

Sheep kill to date

Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 146,282 sheep have been processed so far since the turn of the year.

Of that figure, 130,205 have been hoggets/lambs, with the rest being made up of ewes and rams (16,067).

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 by over 10,500 head; 6,911 fewer hoggets/lambs have been processed; and 3,682 fewer ewes and rams were slaughtered as well.

Year-on-year sheep kill changes (week ending January 22):