The weekly sheep kill increased once again, for the third week in a row, but just marginally to reach nearly 63,000 head.
Figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) show that 62,957 sheep were processed last week (week ending December 17), which is a slight increase of over 500 head from the week prior.
Spring lamb supplies totalled 54,845 head, an increase of over 1,000 head on the previous week, while ewe and ram throughput tallied 6,986 head, decreasing by over 700 head.
The number of hoggets processed increased to over 1,100 head.
Week-on-week sheep kill (week ending December 17):
- Hoggets: 1,126 head (+307 or +37.48%);
- Ewes and rams: 6,986 head (-748 or -9.67%);
- Spring lambs: 54,845 head (+1,005 or +1.86);
- Total: 62,957 head (+564 or +0.90%).
Sheep kill to date
Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 2,821,881 sheep have been processed so far.
Of that figure, 907,118 have been hoggets, 1,538,641 were spring lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (375,975) and a small portion of light lambs (147 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 182,000 head; over 209,000 more hoggets have been processed, while ewe and ram throughput is up on last year’s levels in excess of 29,000 head.
Spring lamb throughput remains behind on this time last year by just under 56,000 head.
Year-on-year sheep kill changes (week ending December 17):
- Hoggets/lambs: 907,118 head (+209,034 or +30%);
- Ewes and rams: 375,975 head (+29,391 or +8%);
- Spring lambs: 1,538,641 head (-55,839 or -4%);
- Total: 2,821,881 head (+182,600 or +7%).