UK Slaughter Statistics
UK - The latest National Statistics produced by Defra on UK Slaughterings of cattle, sheep and pigs were released on 19 August 2010 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.
Key points
This release shows the latest monthly information on the slaughtering of cattle and pigs. It also includes dressed carcase weight and meat production information. The key results for July 2010 are given below:
- Cattle: UK prime cattle slaughterings were 12 per cent higher than in July 2009 at 202 thousand head. Beef and veal production was 87 thousand tonnes, 15 per cent higher than in July 2009.
- Pigs: UK clean pig slaughterings were 1 per cent higher than in July 2009 at 855 thousand head. Pigmeat production was 69 thousand tonnes, a rise of 1 per cent on July 2009.
Section 1: UK monthly slaughter estimates
This table shows monthly estimates of the number of cattle, sheep and pigs slaughtered for meat for human consumption in the United Kingdom. The survey is run according to statistical, rather than calendar months, the number of weeks in the statistical month is specified below.
Table1: UK Monthly Slaughter Estimates
United Kingdom | May 2010 4 Weeks |
June 2010 4 Weeks |
July 2010 5 Weeks |
---|---|---|---|
Steers | 80 | 74 | 90 |
Heifers | 60 | 59 | 69 |
Young Bulls | 28 | 34 | 43 |
Cows and Adult Bulls | 39 | 38 | 51 |
Calves | 3 | 3 | 5 |
Clean pigs | 694 | 685 | 855 |
Sows and Boars | 16 | 15 | * |
Section 2: UK average dressed carcase weights
This table shows the monthly average dressed carcase weight of livestock slaughtered for meat for human consumption in the United Kingdom.
Carcase weights remained relatively stable, the only notible changes were an increase in weights for both cows/adult bulls and calves.
There was also a drop in carcase weights for sows and boars, and a slight drop in clean pigs weights.
United Kingdom | May 2010 4 Weeks |
June 2010 4 Weeks |
July 2010 5 Weeks |
---|---|---|---|
Steers | 372.9 | 372.4 | 371.3 |
Heifers | 322.9 | 323.5 | 322.5 |
Young Bulls | 345.4 | 347.6 | 347.7 |
Cows and Adult Bulls | 327.1 | 325.3 | 318.3 |
Calves | 36.9 | 32.6 | 43.4 |
Clean pigs | 78.4 | 77.7 | 76.7 |
Sows and Boars | 154.5 | 156.2 | 148.8 |
Section 3: UK monthly home-killed production of meat
This table shows the monthly volumes of meat produced in the united kingdom. data is shown according to statistical, rather than calendar months, number of weeks in sttistical month as specified.
Table 3: Uk monthly home-killed production of meat
United Kingdom | May 2010 4 Weeks |
June 2010 4 Weeks |
July 2010 5 Weeks |
---|---|---|---|
Beef | 71 | 71 | 87 |
Pig | 57 | 56 | 69 |
Section 4: UK average weekly slaughterings
This following table shows the average weekly slaughter figures for the last thirteen months. The monthly slaughter figures in section one are affected by the number of weeks in the statistical month. To get a clearer measure of trends weekly averages are calculated by dividing the number of livestock slaughtered each month by the number of weeks in the statistical month.
Longer term trends can be seen in the charts following this table.
Chart 4:1 United Kingdom average weekly slaughtering – Cattle
Chart 4:2 United Kingdom average weekly slaughtering – Pigs

Section 5: UK slaughterings by country
This table shows monthly estimates of the number of cattle, sheep and pigs slaughtered for meat in England and Wales, Scotland, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Data are shown in statistical months, rather than calendar months. The totals for the countries mtotals or the United Kingdom totals in section one, due to rounding.
Table 5: UK slaughterings by country
May 2010 4 weeks |
June 2010 4 weeks |
July 2010 5weeks |
|
---|---|---|---|
England & Wales | |||
steers | 48 | 45 | 57 |
Heifers | 37 | 36 | 44 |
Young Bulls | 19 | 21 | 27 |
Cows and Adult Bulls | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Calves | 3 | 3 | 5 |
Clean pigs | 535 | 531 | 661 |
Sows and Boars | 16 | 14 | * |
Scotland | |||
steers | 19 | 18 | 22 |
Heifers | 13 | 13 | 16 |
Young Bulls | 3 | 5 | 6 |
Cows and Adult Bulls | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Calves | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Clean pigs | 42 | 39 | 51 |
Sows and Boars | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Great Britain | |||
steers | 67 | 63 | 79 |
Heifers | 50 | 49 | 59 |
Young Bulls | 22 | 25 | 33 |
Cows and Adult Bulls | 32 | 32 | 43 |
Calves | 3 | 3 | 5 |
Clean pigs | 577 | 570 | 711 |
Sows and Boars | 16 | 14 | * |
Northern Ireland | |||
steers | 12 | 11 | 11 |
Heifers | 10 | 10 | 10 |
Young Bulls | 6 | 8 | 10 |
Cows and Adult Bulls | 6 | 6 | 8 |
Calves | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Clean pigs | 118 | 115 | 144 |
Sow and Boars | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Further Reading
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