France livestock slaughter carcass weight: sheep
France livestock slaughter carcass weight: sheep stood at 5.75 thousand tonnes in Aug 2026, according to Eurostat – slaughtering in slaughterhouses, monthly (apro_mt_pheadm), Agreste. It is one of the indicators in the Livestock production (monthly) table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 1975 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Livestock production (monthly) table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carcass weight of animals slaughtered | |||||||||||
| Sheep | 5.75 | 6.19 | 6.04 | 6.73 | 5.92 | 8 | 5.02 | 4.41 | 5 | 4.08 | |
| Goats | 0.17 | 0.23 | 0.28 | 0.42 | 0.61 | 1.23 | 0.56 | 0.36 | 0.58 | 0.43 |
Understanding france livestock slaughter carcass weight: sheep
The metric aggregates the total carcass weight of sheep processed within commercial slaughter facilities, covering lambs, ewes, and rams. The scope records the dressed weight of the animal after skinning and evisceration, excluding live weight and non-edible by-products. This series captures the total ovine meat output, differing from cattle and pig measures due to smaller average animal sizes and distinct pastoral production cycles. It aggregates all age categories of sheep into a single mass total to monitor small ruminant sector productivity.
Seasonality strongly dictates the monthly profile, with production surges frequently tied to religious festivals and traditional lambing seasons. Provisional monthly estimates are regularly updated as late-reporting abattoirs finalize their processing logs. Analysts should examine year-on-year changes to evaluate underlying direction accurately, avoiding misleading month-on-month swings caused by holiday calendars. This tonnage measure should not be confused with wool production or live animal export tallies.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this total include both lambs and mature sheep?
- Yes, the aggregate combines all ovine categories, including young lambs, ewes, and rams.
- How does sheep carcass recording differ from larger livestock?
- While the physical definition of dressed weight is similar, the scale is much smaller, reflecting lighter individual animal masses.
- What causes regular monthly spikes in this series?
- Specific seasonal holidays and traditional pastoral marketing periods drive recurring production peaks.