A’VERY UNUSUAL’ OCCASION SEES MEIRIONNYDD SHEEP GIVE BIRTH TO SIX LAMBS

She was caught off her when a young farmer’s sheep gave birth to six healthy lambs, a “very rare” occurrence. The birth of the sextuplets, according to Erin Fflur McNaught, was a “total surprise” because sheep generally have one to three offspring.

All lambs are healthy and doing well after a shaky start for one, the 20-year-old from Meirionnydd said.

“They’re all up on their feet with a belly full of milk, all happy now,” she added.

Ms McNaught said the ewe’s pregnancy scan suggested she would be having three lambs, but there was a chance she could have birthed more given her size.

Triplets are very typical, but six is very, very uncommon, she added.
Grandpa McNaught of Ms. McNaught said he had never seen that many lambs born from a single sheep in his 70 years of farming.
Ms. McNaught reported that all of the lambs were doing well, with the exception of one that was smaller than the rest and had problems standing.

Ms McNaught said the ewe had been struggling to care for all six of her offspring, so she was helping to feed them with powdered milk from a bottle.

“They’re all up on their feet with a belly full of milk and under the infrared lamp that keeps them warm, so they’re all happy now,” she said.