Ewe’ve got to be joking

Ewe’ve got to be joking

2 March 2016

AN Annacloy farm was the setting for a highly unusual and very special birth last week.

A ewe belonging to father-and-son William and Matthew King defied million-to-one odds by giving birth to five healthy lambs.

The new arrivals were born shortly after 5am last Thursday and mum, a Suffolk/Cheviot cross ewe, and her offspring are doing well.

William and Matthew, who run a mixed farm, have had several triplet births over the years but this is their first time for quintuplets.

With the weather being so continuously wet over the last four months they were delighted the ewe managed to carry and deliver five healthy lambs. William said: “The lambs are all doing well and all the family take it in turns to bottle feed the new babies to supplement the mother.”

It’s a busy time for the King family right now with the lambing season in full swing.

There have been over 100 lambs born on the farm so far and quite a lot more are expected in the next few weeks.

That means plenty of sleepless nights for William and his family as they make sure the new arrivals are safe and sound.

“It’s all hands on deck at this time of year,” William explained.