Last week’s sheep kill saw nearly 60,000 sheep processed according to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
For the week ending January 14, 59,402 sheep were processed as factories moved back to a five-day processing week.
51,586 hoggets/lambs were processed while a further 7,812 ewes and rams were slaughtered.
Week-on-week sheep kill (week ending January 14):
- Hoggets/lambs: 51,586 head (+5,294 or +11.43%);
- Ewes and rams: 7,812 head (+2,347 or +42.94%);
- Total: 59,402 head (+7,642 or +14.76%).
Sheep kill to date
Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 111,162 sheep have been processed so far.
Of that figure, 97,878 have been hoggets/lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (375,975) and a small portion of light lambs (4 head).
If we compare figures to date this year, against the same period in 2022, we can see that the total number of sheep slaughtered is up by over 14,000 head; nearly 11,000 more hoggets have been processed, while ewe and ram throughput is up on last year’s levels in excess of 3,000 head.
Year-on-year sheep kill changes (week ending January 14):
- Hoggets/lambs: 97,878 head (+10,895 or +13%);
- Ewes and rams: 13,277 head (+3,407 or +35%);
- Total: 111,162 head (+14,302 or +15%).