VIDEO: Derbyshire ewe defies million-to-one odds to have SIX lambs

A Derbyshire farmer was stunned when one of his ewes defied million-to-one odds to give birth to SIX lambs.
A one-in-a-million litter of three black and three white lambs, born in DerbyshireA one-in-a-million litter of three black and three white lambs, born in Derbyshire
A one-in-a-million litter of three black and three white lambs, born in Derbyshire

The incredibly rare litter of sextuplets were delivered by Raymond Brindley, 51, as he lambed his flock of 400 Texel-cross sheep.

The farmer was expecting the ewe to have triplets but was amazed when she gave birth to three white lambs and three black ones.

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Mr Brindley, of Parwich, who has been working 15-hour days to keep up with his flock, said: “I thought to myself five must be it but I was amazed there was a sixth one.

“ I’ve had sheep give birth to quads before and I’ve heard people having five before but I’ve been farming all my life and I’ve never had six.

“It’s quite amazing.”

“It’s something I’ve heard of happening before but that was about 20 years ago.

“I never thought it would happen in my own flock.”

The farmer had to take the smallest lamb away to be bottle fed and gave another baby to a different sheep to make sure they all have a healthy share of milk.

The farmer chooses to lamb his flock later on in the season in the hope they might enjoy some better weather.

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