Last week’s sheep kill (week ending June 20) saw an increase on the week before – up over 3,500 head, figures from the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) reveal.

Increases were seen in the lamb, ewe and ram kill during the week ending June 20, while hogget throughput remained much the same as the previous week.

For the week ending June 20, 52,864 sheep were processed – which was an increase of 3,539 head from the week before.

The number of spring lambs slaughtered during the week ending June 20, accumulated to 45,936 head – which is an increase of 3,370 head on the previous week.

Ewe and ram throughput totalled 5,467 head – up marginally by 180 head on the week before.

Hogget throughput for the week ending June 20, totalled 1,472 head – back ever so slightly by 12 head on the week previous.

Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 1,103,689 sheep have been processed thus far.

Of that figure, 692,121 have been hoggets, while 278,066 have consisted of spring lambs.

Ewe and ram throughput makes up the rest at 133,397 head.

If we compare figures to date this year, against the same period in 2020, we can see that the total number of sheep slaughtered is back 90,420 head.

90,871 fewer hoggets have been processed in comparison to the same period last year.

While 14,327 fewer ewes and rams have been slaughtered as well, with only spring lamb throughput seeing an increase on this time last year (up 14,713 head).