Scottish agricultural survey: December 2017

Annual agricultural survey based on data from larger agricultural holdings together with estimates for smaller farms.

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Table 3: Number of sheep, 2007 to 2017

  change in data collection
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 % Change between
2016 & 2017
Sheep 1 year old or over
Ewes kept for breeding 3,087,769 2,938,365 2,880,901 2,831,403 2,791,010 2,847,481 2,796,462 2,930,534 2,883,076 2,797,741 2,814,771 1%
Other sheep 261,071 238,290 210,530 216,511 210,971 236,120 242,600 208,884 724,943 416,224 511,171 23%
Total 3,348,840 3,176,655 3,091,431 3,047,914 3,001,981 3,083,601 3,039,062 3,139,418 3,608,019 3,213,965 3,325,942 3%
Sheep under 1 year old
Lambs put to ram 94,821 77,286 100,538 101,481 109,357 91,496 85,670 108,599 127,946 116,527 125,242 7%
Lambs not put to ram 1,883,396 1,761,153 1,652,160 1,645,203 1,577,481 1,733,373 1,638,973 1,593,396 1,223,638 1,713,018 1,455,162 -15%
Total 1,978,217 1,838,439 1,752,698 1,746,684 1,686,838 1,824,869 1,724,643 1,701,995 1,351,584 1,829,545 1,580,404 -14%
Total sheep 5,327,057 5,015,094 4,844,129 4,794,598 4,688,819 4,908,470 4,763,705 4,841,413 4,959,603 5,043,510 4,906,346 -2.7%
Goats 5,437 3,632 5,095 40.3%

(1) From 2015, the collection of sheep data incorporated that via the Sheep and Goat Annual Inventory. This also resulted in a change in the sheep categories, and increased the number of holdings included within the survey. From 2016, the sheep categories were made more similar to years prior to 2015. However, comparisons with previous years should be made with caution.

Contact

Email: Nora.Mielke@gov.scot

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