Sheep kill: Throughput increases a further 7,000 head

Last week’s sheep kill resulted in over 57,000 sheep processed, according to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

For the week ending February 4, 57,377 sheep were processed, which is an increase of over 7,300 head from the week before.

50,684 hoggets/lambs were processed, which is up over 6,600 head on the week prior, while a further 6,686 ewes and rams were slaughtered, which was up over 1,100 head on the previous week.

Week-on-week sheep kill (week ending February 4):

Hoggets/lambs: 50,684 head (+6,620 or +15.02%);
Ewes and rams: 6,686 head (+1,190 or +16.54%);
Total: 57,377 head (+7,364 or +14.72%).

Sheep kill to date

Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 266,558 sheep have been processed so far.

Of that figure, 233,504 have been hoggets/lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (33,034) and a small number of light lambs (20 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 nearly 17,000 head; over 14,000 more hoggets have been processed, while ewe and ram throughput is up on last year’s levels in excess of 2,600 head.

Year-on-year sheep kill changes (week ending February 4):