Last week’s sheep kill (week ending October 22) was down on the week before by over 4,500 head, but still exceeded 60,000 head.

Figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) show that 60,788 sheep were processed last week, which is a decrease of 4,697 head from the week prior.

A decrease in throughput was seen across all categories of the kill for the week.

Spring lamb supplies totalled 48,952 head, a fall of 3,215 head on the previous week; ewe and ram throughput tallied 11,285, a decrease of 1,134 on the week prior; and the number of hoggets processed also decreased to 551 head.

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

Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 2,345,649 sheep have been processed so far.

Of that figure, 902,186 have been hoggets, 1,132,200 were spring lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (311,126) and a small portion of light lambs (137 head).

If we compare figures to date this year, against the same period in 2021, we can see that the total number of sheep slaughtered is up by over 142,000 head; 204,546 more hoggets have been processed, while ewe and ram throughput is up on last year’s levels by over 20,000 head.

Spring lamb throughput remains behind on this time last year by over 82,000 head.

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