Five live: Rare quintuplets born to ewe at Yorkshire farm

A RARE set of five lambs have been born to a single ewe at the East Yorkshire stately home, Sledmere House.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th Apr 2017, 13:32 BST
Updated 9th May 2017, 18:52 BST
Rare quintuplet lambs, dubbed 'the Jackson Five', born at the Sledmere Estate, East Yorkshire. Picture: SWNSRare quintuplet lambs, dubbed 'the Jackson Five', born at the Sledmere Estate, East Yorkshire. Picture: SWNS
Rare quintuplet lambs, dubbed 'the Jackson Five', born at the Sledmere Estate, East Yorkshire. Picture: SWNS

Head stockman, Richard Clifford, said staff named the quintuplets Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael, after the Jackson Five pop group.

Mr Clifford, 42, said: “I’ve been shepherding for 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like it.

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“I’ve seen a ewe give birth to five before but there are often at least one or two lambs that don’t make it.

Rare quintuplet lambs, dubbed 'the Jackson Five', born at the Sledmere Estate, East Yorkshire. Picture: SWNSRare quintuplet lambs, dubbed 'the Jackson Five', born at the Sledmere Estate, East Yorkshire. Picture: SWNS
Rare quintuplet lambs, dubbed 'the Jackson Five', born at the Sledmere Estate, East Yorkshire. Picture: SWNS

“To have five alive lambs is absolutely astounding.”

He added: “We thought the ewe was pregnant with four lambs and she was getting a bit of extra TLC as a result - she was allowed to stay in the shed and she was being given more food than normal.”

Mother, who is a Masham ewe, and all five babies are doing well.

Sledmere Estate sits inside the family-run farm Tatton Sykes Estate, and houses 550 sheep, 960 cows and a herd of deer.

Related topics:East Yorkshire