Ewe can't be serious! Sheep gives birth to quads for the second time in a year

By Charles Walford


Farm owner Louise Burrough with new arrivals Rudolf, Jessie, Ruby and Amy, who were born on December 29


When Polly the sheep gave birth to quadruplets in February her owners were astounded.

Such multiple births are so rare in she was the first ewe to give birth to quads at Peradon Organic Farm, in Devon, in 40 years.

But now she has shocked her owners Louise and John Burrough again by repeating the remarkable feat and having a set of quadruplet lambs for the second time in just ten months.

The four lambs arrived on December 29 at the farm near Cullompton.


Quad lambs are 'extremely rare' in sheep, with twins and triplets far more common.

Mother-of-two Mrs Burrough, 35, who lives on the farm with her 33-year-old husband, has named the second set of Welsh Lleyn breed lambs Rudolf, Jessie, Ruby and Amy.

Mrs Burrough said: 'Mum is just fantastic - what a great sheep. We had no idea she was expecting quads again and it was a complete surprise.

'We are all amazed and very proud of our sheep. They are all healthy and doing really well which is the main thing.

'I think Polly obviously has amazing genes. Some women are predisposed to have twins and I suppose this could be the same for sheep.


Proud mum: The arrival of another four lambs stunned Polly's owners at Peradon Organic Farm in Devon

The couple's three-year-old son Harry with the new-born lambs


'The grass is here is amazing and nutritious and perhaps if they are well nourished maybe that helps.

'It is an extremely rare occurrence, I must say we are very lucky to have that sheep.' The lambs were born at 4am, watched by John's mother Shirley, 78, who also saw the birth of Polly's first quads back in February.

They are fit and healthy and will be looked after by their mum in a barn to make sure they keep warm and safe.

The Burrough family will then move the quads into an orchard on their 250 acre farm, which is home to 150 sheep and 85 cattle.

Mr Burrough added: 'We couldn't believe our eyes when four lambs were born. It is truly amazing that this is the second time for this to happen this year.

'I've never heard of a ewe having two sets of quads - one set is rare.'


The arrival of Rudolf, Jessie, Ruby and Amy was the second time in ten months that Polly has given birth to quadruplets



source:dailymail

What a shaggy sheepdog tale! The lamb raised alongside springer spaniel who thinks he's a canine

By JESSICA SATHERLEY

Best friends: Alison Sinstadt sits in Adderley Wharf Farm in Shropshire with her pet dog Jessie and Jack the sheep - who thinks he is also a dog

A sheep that was rescued as a lamb and brought up with a springer spaniel is now convinced he is a sheep dog.

Jack is so sure he is a canine he fetches sticks, wears a collar and a lead, jumps up on his hind legs and even tries to bark.

The six-month-old pet doesn't even recognise his own species and tries to herd sheep when he is put in the field with the rest of the flock.


Chilling out: Jack and Jessie can't get enough of each other and seem to be inseparable since the springer spaniel befriended the sheep when he was just a lamb

Owners Alison Sinstadt, 48, and her partner Simon Sherwin, 50, were stunned when the Lleyn sheep was befriended by their nine-year-old springer spaniel Jessie.

Mother-of-two Alison, who runs Adderley Wharf Farm and a shop near Market Drayton, Shropshire, said: "Jack was born one of three lambs, which is quite rare.


Daily walk: Jack the sheep even joins Jessie on her daily walk with their owner Alison... and has his own collar and lead

"He was very small and we decided to bring him in the house and put the hair drier on him and forced him to drink milk.

"It ended up that he took to the dog and they now sleep together in a dog basket in the porch.


source: dailymail

Is that a baa-cket on your head? Bungling sheep tries to get every last grain from its food container

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Feeling a bit sheepish: This woolly headed sheep got his head stuck in its feed bucket in a field near Berwick Upon Tweed, Scotland

This woolly wally probably felt rather sheepish... after getting a feed bucket stuck on his head.

The bungling animal ended up in the sticky situation as he tried to gobble up every last grain of food left in the container.

As he tilted the bucket up, the handle came down behind his head, wedging it firmly in place.

Photographer Phil McLean took the amusing snap as he passed this field near Berwick Upon Tweed, Scotland.

The 55-year-old, from Chirnside, said: ‘I had been looking for wildlife to photograph from my car when I spotted this sheep.

‘I can only assume that, in its eagerness to get the last drop of food, it tilted the bucket too much and the handle got stuck behind its head.

‘I watched it for a little while and it didn't seem too bothered.

‘There was a farmer on a quad bike in the field so I'm sure he would have come to the rescue.’

He added: ‘I thought this scene was a little different and would probably raise a smile on people's faces.’


source: dailymail

Bleating the competition: Sheep take to the tracks in a race of woolly jumpers

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Ewe can't do that! The sheep racers at Cannon Hall Farm. Five races are held at the farm every day throughout the holiday season

As far as fence racing goes, it's not something ewe see every day.

The four-legged competitors assemble at the start line, preparing to tackle jumps such as the Bechers Brook, The Chair and The Canal Turn.

However, these are not race horses competing at Aintree's Grand National. These competitors are slightly more woolly in their approach.


Baa-my: The farm's most agile sheep are put through their paces on a racecourse mimicking Aintree's Grand National


A farm in South Yorkshire has resurrected the baa-my attraction of sheep racing.

With teddy bear 'jockeys' strapped to their backs - and motivated by a bag of cereal at the finish line - 25 of the most agile ewes at Cannon Hall Farm, in Cawthorne near Barnsley, have been trained to navigate a 250-metre course, complete with 20-inch high hurdles.


Fleeced: Punters can place bets on the races, which are a new attraction at Cannon Hall Farm


'The sheep like it and it’s quite good fun - they can run as fast as a person, especially once they get to the finish line where they know a cereal treat is waiting, they want to get there first.

'It’s the first time we’ve trained sheep for racing. We’ve found it quite challenging getting them to go in the right direction.'

The races will be held at the farm until September 4 when the sheep will leave behind the hurdles and return to their usual routine of eating grass all day.


source: dailymail

The sheep-loving three-year-old who's winning awards (and hearts) by showing his flock at fairs

By Daily Mail Reporter


There's a new rising star in the world of agricultural shows - and he's only three years old.

William Mullin, from Marsden in West Yorkshire, has been beating more experienced handlers to take home a number of sheep-showing prizes.

He started entering farming fairs aged two, and will soon compete in a Champion of Champions contest.

Prodigy: Three-year-old William Mullin has been training sheep for over a year


His mother, Jamie Mitchell said: 'He is such a keen farmer and has won lots of awards.

'His latest competition was the Great Yorkshire Show. He competed in the three to nine-year-old category for sheep handlers and came second. The crowd roared as he collected his prize.'

William comes from a long line of successful handlers. His grandfather, 54-year-old Clive Mitchell, started sheep showing when he was 10.

His father, 27-year-old Daniel Mullin, has also recently got involved in the sport.

Animal lover: William now has his own flock of sheep to look after


Ms Mitchell added: 'William has competed in main events and won two. One of them was the trophy he took home from Harden Moss Sheepdog Trials. William’s granddad had won it for the past two years.

'We are keeping it in the family. William has told me that he cannot wait to be a farmer.

'He goes to the shows and talks to all the farmers. He has developed a true broad Yorkshire accent and talks in lingo that some of us don’t even understand.

'The other day on the farm he released the sheep dogs and tried to round up the sheep by himself. He came back and told us that the dogs were already back in the pen.'


Champion: William has beaten dozens of more experienced herdsmen at agricultural shows


William started sheep showing when he was two after he trained his lamb, Laddie. He has won several competitions with Laddie, but has now acquired a whole flock of sheep.

He will compete in August with his sheep Boris at the Halifax Agricultural Show. To prepare for the event, William is responsible for washing the sheep, brushing them up and making sure that their behaviour is impeccable while they follow him around the ring.

He must wear smart attire for the competition as he is also judged on this.

Having won his category at Harden Moss Sheepdog Trials, William is due to compete against other winners in the Champion of Champions competition at the Hope Show in Derbyshire on August Bank Holiday weekend.

Animal-lover William turns four in August and will start full-time at Marsden Infant and Nursery School in September.


source:dailymail

I don't care if it's in my job description: The sheepdog that's afraid of sheep

By Daily Mail Reporter


In the classic debate it would appear to suggest that nurture matters more than nature.

Ci the Border Collie has shown himself to be a sheepdog in name only - after developing a fear of sheep.

The four-year-old became afraid of the flock after owner Jane Lippington placed him in their field as a puppy.

He is so scared of the sheep that as soon as he is confronted by them he turns tail and runs away.

The sheep have now worked out how to get the better of Ci and chase him off whenever he tries to herd them up.

Mrs Lippington has become so exasperated with four-year-old Ci she has given up using him as a working dog.

But he may have a future as an internet sensation - when Jane uploads the footage of him being given the run-around.

Mrs Lippington, 54, said: 'I have tried to use Ci to herd the sheep and get them in the right place lots of times but they are just too scary for him.

'Collies are very instinctive and they want to work the sheep and Ci wants to do it but he is terrified of them.

'If they run away from him he will go after them and act like a proper sheepdog.

'But the moment they turn and face him he runs away.

'Now the sheep have worked out that he can't push them around because he is too soft.

The video clip shows how four-year-old dog cowers as the flock approaches him

Ci can only stand his ground for so long before he turns tail and flees from the sheep who have learned how to get the better of him



'Sheep can be quite aggressive if they think they have the upper hand - they stamp their feet and gang up in numbers and act like an army.

'When that happens Ci gets intimidated and runs off.
'The only way to make it work is for me to get behind them first and shoo them so they run away from you and then Ci joins in. It just means a lot more work for us to do.

'He might be the worst sheepdog in Britain but there's no way we would be without Ci, he's part of the family.'

Mrs Lippington runs 200 acre Manor Farm at Langridge, near Bath, Somerset, with husband Donald, 62, and they have a flock of about 100 sheep.

She added: 'I took some footage of it simply because I thought it was funny.

'But somebody told me I should put it on YouTube because it is quite unusual.

'I don't think he would get very far on One Man and His Dog, he's more suited to You've Been Framed.'




source:dailymail

Better call the fire baa-gade: Sheep stuck on roof of house is rescued by firefighters

By Daily Mail Reporter


Feeling sheepish? The animal found itself having to be rescued after being stuck on a rooftop


This is the bizarre moment two fire engines were called to rescue a sheep - which was stuck on the roof of a house.

Stunned residents dialled 999 after the creature was spotted scrambling across roof tiles in the remote village of Pontycymer, South Wales.

A team from Bridgend Fire and Rescue Service took 40 minutes to bring the animal down from the terraced row using a Large Animal Rescue appliance.


Homeowner Claire Walters, 38, photographed the drama as it unfolded on the roof of her house on Saturday afternoon.

She said, 'I was sitting in my lounge watching television when suddenly I could hear a noise out in the street.

'When I went outside and was facing the front of my house, I looked up towards the roof and there was a sheep standing there.'

Woolly-headed: The sheep, which reached the roof by climbing up a nearby garage, was coaxed down by firefighters


A spokesman for Bridgend Fire and Rescue Service said the sheep had got on to the roof by climbing up from a garage at the rear of the terrace.

He said, 'We have never had anything like that before, though we have found sheep in some difficult places.

'It was running back and forward on the roof, but eventually it must have realised how many firefighters were there trying to get it down. So it thought, I'd better come down now.

Rescue squad: Two fire engines were dispatched to deal with the stranded sheep in the small Welsh village of Pontycymer


The spokesman added that the sheep was fine and had not been harmed by its adventure.

'It was certainly an interesting call-out, it's not where you'd expect to find a sheep, really quite funny,' he added. 'It brightened up our weekend, that's for sure.'


source:dailymail

Fare-wool: New Zealanders mourn the death of Shrek, the world's shaggiest sheep

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Playboy sheep: Shrek, widely considered to be the world's woolliest sheep, has died in New Zealand at the age of 17


New Zealand is in mourning after the death of one of its biggest stars, a celebrity sheep called Shrek who was reckoned to be the woolliest in the world.

The 17-year-old Merino sheep was put to sleep yesterday after a long and glamourous life that included TV shows, national tours, his own barn and a personal carer; he even made it into the pages of Playboy magazine.

Shrek captured the public's imagination in 2004 after he evaded the annual shearing round-ups for seven years by hiding in caves on his farm on South Island. When finally found, he was clad in an astonishing 27kg of wool.


Walking cloud: Shrek was toured around the country for charity events in the back of a van by musterer Danny Devine (left) and owner John Perriam


In a country where sheep outnumber people by nearly 10 to one, Shrek's story of stubbornness and guile appealed to many.

After his capture, Shrek was shorn on live TV in a broadcast which was picked up around the world and watched by millions. His story inspired three books.

'He was quite an elderly statesman,' said owner John Perriam.


Before: Shrek was nine years old when he was eventually caught for shearing and was carrying 27kg of wool


'He taught us a lot.'

Until becoming sick three weeks ago, Shrek toured the country, commanding huge sums of money for appearances and getting the star treatment wherever he went.

In one appearance, he was shorn on top of a large iceberg which was floating near the South Island coast.


... And after: Shrek, with his owner John Perriam after being shorn in Cromwell, on 28 April 2004, before 200 onlookers and a live worldwide television audience


Shrek was one of about 17,000 sheep on the the 27,000-acre Bendigo farm in the small town of Tarras.

Mr Perriam believes Shrek was able to survive the winters and avoid detection by moving about a series of sheltered caves and by munching on small native shrubs.
'It's bizarre that we missed him seven years in a row,' he said.

'But from his point of view, it was the perfect environment.'

After Shrek became a star, Mr Perriam gave him his own barn and showroom. Shrek even had a personal carer to look after him when he became sick, before being put to sleep yesterday at the age of 17.

Mr Perriam said that as well as laying claim to being New Zealand's woolliest sheep, Shrek may also have been its oldest.

Most sheep live for no more than six years before being slaughtered.


source: dailymail

A zoo in Amneville

A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows one of the mountain sheep babies borned lately at the zoo.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows a Humboldt Penguin.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows an Orangutan.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows one of the three babies kangourou wallaby borned lately at the zoo carried by its mother.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows one of the three babies kangourou wallaby borned lately at the zoo carried by its mother.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows two mountain sheep babies borned lately.



A picture taken on April 21, 2011 at a zoo in Amneville shows one of the three babies kangourou wallaby borned lately at the zoo carried by its mother.


source: daylife
photo: Gettyimages

That should stop the ram raiders: Farmer dyes his flock orange to deter sheep rustlers

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

I can see ewe! Farmer John Heard and his son James were forced to take desperate measures after their flock was decimated by rustlers and coated some 250 sheep with harmless orange dye


Farmer John Heard decided desperate measures were needed to stop the sheep rustling that was decimating his flocks.

And his solution to the problem has created an eye-catching sensation on his farm after he turned his sheep orange.

The 48-year-old has put his flock of 250 blackface ewes through a harmless dip of orange dye making them so highly visible wary thieves are giving them a wide berth.



Valuable commodity: The National Farmer's Union has warned that the financial hardship facing the country has led to a big increase in rural crimes like sheep rustling


Mr Heard, who runs his livestock farm near Okehampton, Devon had lost 200 sheep over the past few years but says the orange dye is working wonders.

He explained: 'Sheep rustling has become a big problem with ewes worth around £140 each. My flock roams Dartmoor and I was getting mighty fed up with losing so many.

'My son James suggested the orange dye and although it produces some strange-looking sheep it has done the trick and I haven’t lost one this year.

'It works because they are so easy to distinguish making it easier for me and my neighbours to keep a wary eye out for them. Plus the rustlers are obviously nervous about stealing such easily distinguished animals.'


source: dailymail

Ewe have got to be kidding! The 'puppy' born to a SHEEP

By Daily Mail Reporter


'Miracle': The sheep/dog and the ewe that allegedly gave birth to him in Shaanxi Province, China
His 'sheep dog' even plays like a hound.


Vets say it’s impossible - but to Chinese farmer Liu Naiying his birth is a miracle.

For Mr Liu insists one of his sheep has given birth to a dog

The 'puppy' has wool like a lamb but its mouth, nose, eyes, paws and tail look more like a dog's.


The birth has prompted thousands to flock to his farm in Shaanxi Province to see for themselves.

Mr Liu told how he found the unusual baby animal shortly after it was born in one of his fields.

‘I was herding the sheep, and saw a sheep licking her newborn lamb on the grassland. The lamb was still wet,’ he said.

‘When I went up close to check on the lamb I was shocked because it looked so weird, like a cross between a sheep and a dog.


Strange: The 'puppy' has wool like a lamb but it's mouth, nose, eyes, paws and tail look more like a dog's


‘I was a bit frightened, as I've been raising sheep for 20 years and had never seen such a creature.’

Yue Guozhang, a researcher at Xi'an City Animal Husbandry Technology Centre, said sheep and dogs were different species.

‘It's not possible that a sheep could become pregnant with a puppy,’ he said. ‘It's likely that this is just an abnormal lamb.’


source:dailymail