SHEEP RETURNS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 53, Issue 14, 27 October 1932, Page 3

SHEEP RETURNS.

DECREASES IN FLOCK SHEEP. HEAVY KILLINGS FOR. EXPORT The filial return of the number and classification of sheep in the Dominion as at April 30 has been published by the Department of Agriculture. The total of stud and flock sheep on above date are shown to be 28,691,788, compared wtili 29,792,516 on the corresponding date of last year, a decrease of 1,100,728 which is a rather more favourable position than was shown by the interim returns. There is little change in the numbers of stud sheep and ilock ranis, the total being 873.662 as against 878,239. This shows that the stud flocks are being well kept up, as both stud rams and stud ewes show increases, and besides supplying the Dominion’s requirements considerable numbers of stud sheep are now being bred for export to Australia and other countries.

Flock Sheep. The number of flock breeding ewes returned is 16,831,054, a decrease of 539,394 on the year, and the lowest since 1930 when the figures were 16,388,353. During the last four years the supplies of "breeding ewes were much greater than in any preceding period and at the same time there were large increases shown in dry ewes, that is ewes not put to the ram. Wethers went down from 3,429,552 to 2,730,826, and lambs increased from 6,911,644 last year to 6,995,923 on April 30 last. The totals given in the returns of wethers, dry ewes and lambs are affected by the fact; that killings for export are drawn from these three classes and for which allowance has to be made between April 30 and September 30. The killings at the various freezing works in the Dominion for the season ended September 30 last were: Mutton 2,872,860 carcases, and lamb 8,804,889 carcases, as compared with mutton 2,132,532, and lamb 7,783,528 in the 1930-31 season, a total decrease on the year of 1,761,689 carcases.