IRELAND

National Sheep and Goat CensusDecember 2013

National Sheep and Goat Census

December 2013

Council Regulation (EC) No. 21/2004 obliges all Member States to carry out

an annual census of sheep and goats. This national census is the ninth such

census since the first census was carried out in December 2005.

Sheep

Sheep census forms for 2013 were sent to 41,781 registered sheep flock-

keepers on this Department’s database and returns were received from

38,380 which represents a response rate of 92%. A total of 4,076

respondents had no sheep in December 2013 with 978 of this number

indicating that they do not intend to return to sheep farming in the near future.

The overall number of flock owners who declared that they had sheep in

December 2013 was 34,304 which is an increase of 256 (approx 1%) on the

December 2012 figure of 34,048.

Census returns indicate that at December 2013 Ireland had 3.53 million sheep

(3,530,802) in 34,304 flocks including 2.46 million breeding ewes over 12

months of age. There was an average of 103 sheep per flock compared to

105 sheep per flock in 2012. A total of 68% of flocks contain sheep numbers

below the average flock size which is same percentage as that in 2011 and

2012.

The total number of sheep declared in December 2013 represents a decrease

of approximately 50,000 (1%) on the numbers declared in December 2012.

Number of Sheep and Number of Flocks by County

December 2013

County No. of Flocks

Avg Flock Size

Breeding Ewes over 12 Months Old

Rams Other Sheep

Total Sheep

Carlow 745 146 76,615 2,222 30,632 109,469

Cavan 860 73 43,265 1,673 18,032 62,970

Clare 598 36 15,694 677 5,442 21,813

Cork 1,782 101 125,350 4,017 51,151 180,518

Donegal 5,566 80 314,962 10,469 121,800 447,231

Dublin 193 123 16,613 594 6,461 23,668

Galway 4,088 95 265,869 7,937 113,210 387,016

Kerry 2,311 133 231,695 6,234 70,060 307,989

Kildare 673 157 71,136 2,149 32,687 105,972

Kilkenny 551 131 48,988 1,543 21,640 72,171

Laois 453 111 32,090 1,078 17,243 50,411

Leitrim 983 93 70,128 2,162 19,612 91,902

Limerick 244 80 13,090 481 6,026 19,597

Longford 416 76 22,016 748 8,955 31,719

Louth 367 137 34,004 1,134 14,989 50,127

Mayo 4,575 81 268,757 8,061 91,835 368,653

Meath 1,044 137 100,529 3,482 39,394 143,405

Monaghan 456 90 25,729 985 14,300 41,014

Offaly 554 132 45,110 1,359 26,797 73,266

Roscommon 1,736 97 116,404 3,594 48,143 168,141

Sligo 1,450 79 87,540 2,766 23,939 114,245

Tipperary 1,000 125 80,029 2,488 42,698 125,215

Waterford 434 150 46,260 1,234 17,740 65,234

Westmeath 754 104 54,731 1,785 22,175 78,691

Wexford 1,156 135 96,434 3,014 56,321 155,769

Wicklow 1,315 178 155,562 4,683 74,351 234,596

Overall 34,304 103 2,458,600 76,569 995,633 3,530,802

109,469

62,970

21,813

180,518

447,231

23,668387,016

307,989

105,972

72,171

50,411

91,902

19,597

31,719

50,127368,653

143,405

41,014

73,266

168,141

114,245

125,215

65,234

78,691

155,769

234,596

December 2013

745

860

598

1,782

5,566

1934,088

2,311

673

551

453

983

244

416

3674,575

1,044

456

554

1,736

1,450

1,000

434

754

1,156

1,315

December 2013

Number of Flocks within certain Flock Sizes

The distribution of the national flocks in terms of flock sizes has remained

relatively stable over the last number of years as can be seen from the

attached tables.

Number of Flocks within certain Flock Sizes

Flock Size 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1 – 50

15,547

15,417

15,190

14,391

14,976

14,436

14,392

14,393

14,676

51 – 100

8,966

8,479

8,071

7,584

7,722

7,872

8,192

8,232

8,518

101 – 150

4,857

4,442

4,189

3,918

3,863

3,913

4,397

4,466

4,354

151 – 200

2,737

2,500

2,354

2,156

2,037

2,074

2,350

2,353

2,306

201 – 300

2,659

2,347

2,092

1,959

1,959

2,184

2,412

2,388

2,339

301 – 400

1,121

989

842

831

792

822

941

1,067

999

401 – 500

547

454

402

386

379

381

457

480

466

>500

775

649

537

531

504

494

625

669

646

Total Flocks

37,209

35,277

33,677

31,756

32,232

32,176

33,766

34,048

34,304

% of Flocks within certain Flock Sizes

Flock Size 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1 – 50 41.8% 43.7% 45.1% 45.3% 46.5% 44.9% 42.6% 42.3% 42.8%

51 – 100 24.1% 24.0% 24.0% 23.9% 24.0% 24.5% 24.3% 24.2% 24.8%

101 – 150 13.1% 12.6% 12.4% 12.3% 12.0% 12.2% 13.0% 13.1% 12.7%

151 – 200 7.4% 7.1% 7.0% 6.8% 6.3% 6.4% 7.0% 6.9% 6.7%

201 – 300 7.1% 6.7% 6.2% 6.2% 6.1% 6.8% 7.1% 7.0% 6.8%

301 – 400 3.0% 2.8% 2.5% 2.6% 2.5% 2.6% 2.8% 3.1% 2.9%

401 – 500 1.5% 1.3% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1.4% 1.4% 1.4%

>500 2.1% 1.8% 1.6% 1.7% 1.6% 1.5% 1.9% 2.0% 1.9%

Goats

Goat census returns were received from 945 keepers who had a total of

12,182 goats in December 2013 which represents an increase of

approximately 3,700 goats or 44% on the December 2012 figure of 8,480.

The increase in the number of goats and goat keepers recorded arises from

the introduction of a combined sheep & goat census return form in 2013. The

combined form identified many registered sheep keepers who were also

keeping small numbers of goats but they were not registered goat keepers.

These particular keepers would not have been issued with a goat census form

to complete in previous years and the overall number of goats recorded in

previous years is therefore likely to have been underestimated. The average

number of goats per herd was 13 compared to 19 in 2012.

Number of Goats and No. of Goat Herds by Size of Herd

A total of 74% of herds contained 5 goats or less compared to 65% in 2012

and 61% in 2011. The percentage of herds containing between 6 and 10 was

10% compared to 17% in 2012 and the percentage containing between 11

and 50 goats was 10% compared to 11% in 2012. 51 herds (6% of total

herds) had in excess of 50 goats and the total number on goats contained

within these herds accounted for 64% of the total number of goats declared.

Number of Goats and No. of Goat Herds by Size of Herd

Herd Size Number of Herds

% of Total Herds

Number of Goats

% of Total Goats

1 – 5 699 74% 1,551 13%

6 – 10 97 10% 716 6%

11 – 50 98 10% 2,079 17%

51 – 100 30 3% 2,115 17%

101 – 200 5 1% 680 6%

201 – 300 8 1% 2,015 17%

>300 8 1% 3,026 25%

Totals 945 100% 12,182 100%

Total Number of Goats and Number of Goat Herds by County.

County Number of Herds

% of Total Goats

Number of Goats

% of Total Herds

Carlow 12 1.3% 149 1.2%

Cavan 38 4.0% 119 1.0%

Clare 33 3.5% 726 6.0%

Cork 100 10.6% 696 5.7%

Donegal 100 10.6% 988 8.1%

Dublin 12 1.3% 79 0.6%

Galway 66 7.0% 891 7.3%

Kerry 66 7.0% 583 4.8%

Kildare 29 3.1% 167 1.4%

Kilkenny 20 2.1% 445 3.7%

Laois 16 1.7% 208 1.7%

Leitrim 31 3.3% 120 1.0%

Limerick 10 1.1% 397 3.3%

Longford 12 1.3% 364 3.0%

Louth 20 2.1% 398 3.3%

Mayo 82 8.7% 991 8.1%

Meath 38 4.0% 1,570 12.9%

Monaghan 20 2.1% 113 0.9%

Offaly 12 1.3% 28 0.2%

Roscommon 39 4.1% 866 7.1%

Sligo 49 5.2% 594 4.9%

Tipperary 38 4.0% 392 3.2%

Waterford 15 1.6% 296 2.4%

Westmeath 18 1.9% 641 5.3%

Wexford 37 3.9% 260 2.1%

Wicklow 32 3.4% 101 0.8%

Total 945 100% 12,182 100%