The supply of spring lamb has increased by over 6,800 head in a week, according to the latest sheep kill figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The overall supply of sheep rose by 7,347 head in a week, with spring lambs making up 86% of the total sheep killed during week 33 (ending Sunday, August 18).
When comparing the same week in 2024 and 2023, it can be seen that the supply of sheep last week is running slightly ahead of the same week last year (170 head).
The 47,277 spring lambs slaughtered last week is 1,259 head more than the number slaughtered during the same week in 2023.
The table below gives an overview of the sheep kill for week 33 and the cumulative kill to date this year, compared to the same time period in 2023.
Type 2024
week 332024 cumulative 2023 weekly 2023 cumulative Weekly
differenceCumulative difference 24 vs. 23 % weekly difference 24 vs. 23 % cumulative difference Lambs/hoggets 428 894,862 469 978,866 -41 -84,004 -9% -9% Spring lambs 47,277 527,838 46,018 607,476 1,259 -79,638 3% –13% Ewes and rams 7,210 160,324 8,257 183,699 -1047 -23,375 -13% -13% Light lambs 0 103 1 128 -1 -25 -100% -20% Total 54,915 1,583,127 54,745 1,770,169 170 -187,042 0% -11%
The most recent sheep kill figures from the department revealed that there were 54,915 sheep slaughtered last week.
Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 1,583,127 sheep have been processed so far in 2024.
Of that figure, 894,862 have been lambs/hoggets, 527,838 were spring lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (160,324), and a small portion of light lambs (103).
There have been 187,000 fewer sheep slaughtered to-date in 2024 when compared to the same period last year.
The supply of spring lamb is behind by 79,638 head, while the supply of hoggets earlier this year is running 84,004 head behind the same period last year.