Mullinahone Co-op launch new button tags for lambs

Mullinahone Co-op has launched a new button eartag set for sheep. The set includes an EID button and a visual button tag. The co-op says that the new tags are ideal for the small ears of young lambs.

“They are also very popular with breed societies in the UK because we can print extra data on the rear of the tag, for example the breed name and year of birth,” a spokesman said.

The new tags comply fully with the identification requirements of the Department of Agriculture

The sets are available in strips of four and are priced at €1.45 per set including VAT. They can be ordered online from https://tags.mullinahonecoop.ie.

The new tags comply fully with the identification requirements of the Department of Agriculture. They are compatible with all relevant apps and readers.

Mullinahone Co-op reports that the Bubblegum tag remains its best-selling offering and this is suitable for slaughter and breeding lambs.

The number of sheep presented for slaughter in the UK in the month of May fell substantially compared to recent years’ figures.

The AHDB’s Rebecca Wright reports that lamb throughput fell some 22% to 766,000 head, while the ewe kill fell by an even greater percentage, dropping by 40% to 83,600 head.

The ewe kill for the month of May was the lowest monthly adult sheep kill recorded since the foot-and-mouth outbreak in 2001.

Leaving aside 2001, the adult sheep kill was not recorded at such a low level since the early 1980s.

The average lamb carcase weight also fell by 0.3kg to 20.3kg

The AHDB market update lists the COVID-19 pandemic as contributing to the sharp reduction in throughput but also highlights poor grass growth as hitting performance and delaying drafting rates.

The average lamb carcase weight also fell by 0.3kg to 20.3kg.

The tight supplies no doubt helped demand in continental EU markets

The reduction in carcase weight and throughput combined led to production falling to 17,900t for the month of May with year-to-date throughput running some 11,000t lower.

The tight supplies no doubt helped demand in continental EU markets with performance strong throughout the month of May.

British prices have been running the equivalent of 25c/kg to 35c/kg ahead of the corresponding period in 2019 in recent weeks, while lamb prices in Northern Ireland were up to 60c/kg to 80c/kg higher during May.