Sheep kill in Ireland: Over 188,000 fewer sheep slaughtered this year

There have been over 188,000 fewer sheep slaughtered to-date in 2024 when compared to the same period last year, according to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). This means the overall supply of sheep this year is now running 11% behind the same time in 2023. While there have been 440,093 spring lambs slaughtered to date, this is 81,871 fewer than the number that were killed during the same period last year. The table below gives an overview of the sheep kill for week 31 and the cumulative kill to date this year, compared to the same time period in 2023. The most recent sheep kill figures from the department revealed that there were 49,465 sheep slaughtered last week during week 31 (ending Sunday, August 4). Taking a look at this year’s throughput figures to date, 1,480,644 sheep have been processed so far in 2024. Of that figure, 894,040 have been lambs/hoggets, 440,093 were spring lambs, with the rest made up of ewes and rams (146,409), and a ...