Deadweight sheep price reporting - all you need to know

We collect deadweight sheep prices from abattoirs in Great Britain every week. Historically, up to February 2026, the prices were collected and published from a voluntary sample of abattoirs. From 1 March 2026, the prices are published from a larger sample of abattoirs due to the introduction of legislation.

The prices are published every Wednesday for the previous week (Sunday to Saturday). Abattoirs provide the price, weight, fat class and conformation of every individual deadweight sheep aged less than 12 months old, regardless of scheme, breed or organic status.

The survey is intended to provide a price for deadweight sheep classified on the EUROP grid and falling within the SQQ weight band. The prices shown are in pence per kg, excluding VAT, and represent the weekly average payable for animals upon delivery to the abattoir, before deductions (e.g. procurement, transport, insurance, inspection, levy).

New rules were introduced by governments in England, Wales and Scotland in early 2026 mandating the classification and price reporting of sheep carcases, bringing the sector in line with cattle and pigs. The rules were brought in following consultation with the industry to provide consistent, transparent and clear information on how animals are assessed and priced at slaughter.

The change means that abattoirs across Great Britain killing over a certain number of sheep are legally required to standardise their carcase classification, dressing specifications, weighing methods for sheep less than 12 months old, making everything consistent. The law also requires the abattoirs to report their deadweight prices.

For many years we have taken great pride in providing independent, transparent and reliable market information to help levy payers make informed business decisions. We have made it our mission to build a reputation as a trusted provider of high-quality and timely data, covering information on farmgate prices, production volumes, international trade flows and consumers’ buying habits.

Historically we have published weekly GB deadweight sheep prices based on a sample of abattoirs who have kindly provided their information voluntarily to us.

Our team of trained analysts are dedicated to producing high-quality and robust price series and take great care in making sure everything is correct before we are happy to publish the information.

We have therefore been entrusted to collect and produce the weekly GB deadweight sheep price series under the new legislation, as we have done for cattle and pigs for many years.

From 01 March 2026, the prices published are collected from all abattoirs who are required to price report.

These are those that slaughter 2,000 or more sheep in England and Wales and 500 in Scotland on a rolling annual average. Abattoirs slaughtering below these levels may volunteer to price report.

Deadweight refers to an animal that it is procured and bought directly from a farmer (producer) by an abattoir (sometimes referred to as slaughterhouse or processor). Deadweight relates to the animal, once it has been slaughtered, dressed, classified, weighed and priced.

The term deadweight is different to liveweight. Liveweight generally refers to an animal purchased through an auction market, where the live animal is weighed and priced prior to slaughter.

SQQ stands for Standard Quality Quotation and is the common term for the main weight band used across the industry.

For deadweight price reporting, the band applies to the dressed carcase of prime clean sheep weighing 12 kg to 21.5 kg inclusive.

The deadweight SQQ is sometimes reported in two further weight bands:

• Standard: 12 kg up to 16.5 kg (deadweight)
• Medium: 16.5 kg up to and including 21.5 kg (deadweight)

The SQQ weight band for liveweight sheep sold through auction markets differs from the weights above. This is because it applies to the weight of a live sheep.

All abattoirs in Great Britain killing over a certain number of sheep (see above) are legally required to report the following information for every individual deadweight sheep aged less than 12 months old:

• Date of slaughter
• Dressing specification (Reference or UK Standard)
• Sheep category (new season or old season lambs)
• Cold weight of carcase  
• Conformation (S, E, U, R, O or P)
• Fat class (1, 2, 3L, 3H, 4L, 4H or 5)
• Price (pence per kg)

The regulations that mandate the collection of data under the new legislation are:

• The Sheep Carcase Classification and Price Reporting (England) Regulations 2025
• The Sheep Carcass Classification and Price Reporting (Wales) Regulations 2025
• The Sheep Carcase Classification and Price Reporting (Scotland) Regulations 2025

Our team of trained analysts are dedicated to producing high-quality and robust price series and take great care in making sure everything is correct before we are happy to publish the information.

The data is supplied by abattoirs that are not within the control of AHDB. The Rural Payments Agency and the Scottish Government conduct quarterly audits at each abattoir to ensure the data provided to AHDB meets the correct specification and to mitigate against error.

We do not conduct these audits and depend on the respective regulatory agency to verify the data provided is correct.

Only deadweight sheep that are aged less than 12 months old, or in other words, sheep that do not have a permanent incisor tooth erupted through the gum, are included in the deadweight sheep prices series.

These sheep are categorised as either new or old season lambs. They are sometimes referred to as to as prime clean sheep which are not used for breeding. Only new or old season lambs are included in the survey.

All sheep meeting the above criteria that are procured on a deadweight basis, classified and paid on the EUROP grid are included, regardless of the choice of two dressing specifications that abattoirs can use (see below).

This means that the deadweight sheep prices published for the SQQ weight band will include all sheep, regardless of scheme, breed and organic status.

The following sheep are all excluded:

• Sheep that are purchased liveweight from auction markets
• Sheep that have a permanent incisor tooth erupted through the gum, for example mature and breeding sheep
• Sheep paid on a flat rate price rate - this is usually where an agreed price is paid on all sheep in the lot, regardless of the abattoir’s pricing grid
• Sheep slaughtered as “contract-only” - this is normally where an abattoir is paid a fee to kill a sheep with no sale taking place

A new season lamb is a male or female sheep from this year’s crop. They are sometimes referred to as spring lambs.

They are born between January and September in the current calendar year and have no permanent incisor teeth erupted. They are not normally used for breeding.

The majority of new season lambs in Great Britain are born in the spring. However in some areas with milder climates a small number can be born in the last three months of the previous year.

A new season lamb is called a new season lamb until 31 December. These lambs will become old season lambs on 1 January.

An old season lamb is a male or female sheep from last year’s crop. They are sometimes referred to as hoggs or hoggets.

They are born between January and September in the previous calendar year and have no permanent incisor teeth erupted. They are not normally used for breeding.

An old season lamb was once a new season lamb but became an old season lamb on 1 January.

From 1 January each year, we report old season lambs.

In spring each year, the new season lambs start to be marketed. During this time, when there is enough new and old season lamb information available, we will publish both price series on our website. The new season lambs eventually replace the old season lambs at which point we will report only new season.

When producing headline and historic data, we report old season lambs from 1 January up until the third Monday in May. We then switch to new season lambs for the remainder of the year.

When two prices are published, please remember that a new season lamb is a different product to an old season lamb, as they were born in different years and so will be paid different prices.

The EUROP has been widely used in the sheep industry as a method of classifying sheep carcases for many years. The new sheep legislation introduced across England, Wales and Scotland in January 2026 means that all abattoirs slaughtering over a certain number of sheep are legally required to classify carcases in the same way on the SEUROP grid.

The SEUROP grid is used to classify sheep carcases in abattoirs in two ways – conformation and fat class. The conformation class is described first, followed by the fat class.

Firstly, the carcase is scored according to its conformation, which is a visual assessment of flesh coverage and overall shape.

Conformation scores fall into one of six main classes on a scale of S to P. These are defined as: S (superior) E (excellent), U (very good), R (good), O (fair) and P (poor).

The carcase is then scored according to its fat class, which is a visual assessment of fat levels.

Fat class scores fall into one of five main classes on a scale of 1 to 5, defined as: 1 (low/lean), 2 (slight), 3 (average), 4 (high) and 5 (very fat). Classes 3 and 4 are sub-divided into L (low) and H (high).

Combining the scores for conformation and fat provides the classification or grade of the carcase

AHDB publish prices on the EUROP grid as shown below.

The term dressing specification is used to refer to how much is trimmed from a carcase by the abattoir at the point it is weighed and classified. For deadweight sheep, this is also the point at which the carcase is priced.

From January 2026, the new legislation allows abattoirs a choice of two dressing specifications to ensure all carcases are prepared and presented consistently. The choice of dressing specification directly impacts the carcase’s weight and therefore the price paid per kilo.

The two dressing specification options are Reference and UK Standard:

All abattoirs reporting deadweight sheep prices to AHDB must provide the dressing specification used for each lamb.

We publish prices based on the UK standard dressing specification. For any sheep that are dressed to Reference specification we apply approved coefficients to produce like-for-like prices.

It is important to consider how carcases are dressed at abattoirs. Prior to November 2023, the sheep prices reported did not account for variations in dressing specifications, because there was no research or legislation on which to base this. 

In 2018, AHDB conducted a trial to provide evidence on how to best adjust between two dressing specifications of kidney knob and channel fat (KKCF) and diaphragm skirt (DS) either removed or retained. The results showed that the use of weight and price adjustments (coefficients) would achieve this.

In November 2023, AHDB changed how the prices were produced by applying the coefficients. At that point, we switched to reporting prices based on a dressing specification where the KKCF and diaphragm skirt was removed.

The new legislation introduced in 2026 allows abattoirs to choose between two dressing specifications Reference and UK Standard.

From March 2026, the deadweight sheep price series is published based on the UK standard dressing specification. For any sheep that are dressed to Reference specification we apply the same approved coefficients to produce like-for-like prices.

There is further information below about how these coefficients are calculated and the trial in 2018.

Historically, our deadweight sheep price series could not account for variations in carcase dressing between abattoirs, because there was no data or legislation on which to base this. This meant the prices as submitted from the abattoirs were used, regardless of dressing specifications, to produce the overall average price.

In 2018, Defra began consulting with the industry to consider drafting legislation for statutory sheep carcase classification and price reporting. At the time, it was likely that the legislation would standardise dressing specifications, with one derogation being the removal of kidney knob and channel fat (KKCF) and diaphragm skirt (DS). The introduction of this would, in time, mean that the deadweight sheep prices reported by us would be more robust and transparent as prices could be adjusted to a standard dressing specification.

In preparation for this, we were asked to carry out a trial in 2018 to provide independent evidence to inform a decision on the appropriate approach to applying a coefficient to adjust between the two dressing specifications.

The data collected from the trial also provided the opportunity to make adjustments for the main difference in dressing between abattoirs submitting voluntary prices, based on sound evidence. The approach taken was based on objective statistical criteria, taking account of the need for transparency and our understanding of Defra’s potential approach for statutory classification.

Summary of data collection and results

Weights of KKCF and diaphragm skirt were collected across a range of lamb carcases, representative of the national population.

The relationship between the weight of KKCF and diaphragm skirt and various carcase characteristics was examined to determine appropriate approaches to applying weight adjustments (coefficients) for KKCF and DS.

The trial focussed on accurate prediction of the weight of the removed parts. The conversion of these to price adjustments is covered at the end of this note.

Kidney knob and channel fat (KKCF)

Statistically the best of the approaches examined was the calculation KKCF weight by use of a standard percentage of carcase weight by fat class (using the standard 7-point scale). Only a small reduction in predictive ability (as assessed by correlation) was observed by using a 5-point fat scale, and this will make the future application to a 15-point scale more straight forward.

Diaphragm skirt (DS)

The weight of diaphragm skirt was largely unaffected by carcase fatness or conformation. Although the best overall prediction was obtained by regression on carcase weight, fat score and conformation together, this was only slightly better than a straight percentage of carcase weight. Given the latter approach is both easy to apply and to understand, a straight percentage of carcase weight is preferred: DS weight (kg) = 0.6378% of CW

Combining coefficients and applying to price adjustments

As the proposed approaches both apply a percentage to carcase weight, they can be combined by simply adding the DS coefficient to each of the KKCF coefficients:

Kidney knob and channel fat and diaphragm skirt coefficients (% of carcase weight) by fat class (5-point scale)

Worked example - Carcase weight adjustment

Scenario: A fat class 3 lamb has a carcase weight of 20 kg with KKCF and DS on.

Method: [weight of carcase with parts on] x [coefficient] = [weight of carcase with parts off]

Result: 20 kg x (100-2.66)/100 = 19.468 kg

Therefore, a fat class 3 lamb carcase weighing 20 kg with the parts on would weigh 19.468 kg with the parts off

When applying the coefficients to price, the aim is to equalise the price a carcase would receive regardless of dressing specification.

Because price is quoted in p/kg and the coefficient is a percentage of carcase weight, the coefficient (for each fat class) can be simply applied to the p/kg to adjust it for differences in carcase weight between the two prices.

Worked example - Price adjustment

Scenario: Based on our fat class 3 lamb with a carcase weight of 20 kg with KKCF and DS on (carcase weight 19.468 kg with the parts off), assume a price of 500p/kg with the parts on.  

This would result in a carcase value of £100 per head (20kg x 500p/kg)

Method 1: [£/head] / [weight of carcase with parts off] x [conversion to pence] = [p/kg with parts off]

Result 1: £100 / 19.468 kg x 100 = 513.7p/kg

OR (in a single step)

Method 2: [p/kg with parts on] x [coefficient] = [p/kg with parts off]

Result 2: 500p/kg x 100/(100-2.66) = 513.7p/kg

Therefore, a fat class 3 lamb carcase priced at 500p/kg with the parts on would be priced at 513.7p/kg with the parts off

From November 2023, AHDB changed the deadweight sheep price survey to apply the above coefficients and report prices based on a dressing specification where the KKCF and diaphragm skirt is removed.

Historical analysis of the price series suggested that the reported price per kilo could increase by approximately 0.2−0.5%, dependent on the make-up of our pricing sample in any given week. Caution should therefore be taken when making historical comparisons following this methodology change.

For more details on the research work that underpins these coefficients, visit the page below: 

Establishing coefficients for the weight of kidney knob and channel fat (KKCF) and diaphragm skirt in lamb carcases