Sheep slaughterings up 10% due to better conditions

Sheep slaughterings in May were 10% higher than the same time last year according to new Defra figures, resulting from a larger lamb crop after 12 months of favourable growing conditions.

The number of sheep slaughtered reached 799,000, producing 19,000t of lamb and mutton – 8.2% higher than in May 2013.

See also: Lamb prices dip from seasonal record

Figures for 2014 were slightly inflated by the particularly bad slaughter rates last year following a hard winter for many producers, but were still up 5% compared to 2012, said Paul Heyhoe, chief analyst at Eblex.

As the new season lambs started coming through, figures showed the results of a warm 2013, with good conditions for the majority of sheep growers, said Mr Heyhoe.

More ewes were put to the tup last year and “excellent tupping conditions resulted in better scanning rates, better lambing and improved survival rates,” said Mr Heyhoe.

Continued good weather led to increased growth rates for this season’s lambs, with carcass weights hitting an average of 20.4kg in April – the highest since Defra started collecting data in 1987.

The new season DW R3L dropped slighted in the week ending 14 June from 524.7p/kg to 520.4p/kg, but was significantly up on the same week last year (489.9p/kg). The new season DW SQQ was also down slightly, from 524.7p/kg to 521.2p/kg.

Defra figures also revealed a 3.2% increase in cattle slaughterings on May last year, to 156,000 head, and a 2.5% increase in pig slaughterings to 751,000 head.