Ewe have to be kidding! Shock as four lambs are born to one mother in Hulver

Clare Armstrong is used to counting sheep at this time of the year, but she had to double-check the arrival of four lambs at once.

The incredibly rare quadruplets were born at The Holdings in Hulver last week.

Mrs Armstrong, a farmer's daughter, decided to keep up the family tradition by keeping sheep.

She said it was not unusual for twin lambs to be born, but the sight of four left even the vet surprised.

Mrs Armstrong said: 'We had the vet around to help deliver the lambs as the ewe, called Pig, prolapsed and was having some difficulty.

'We have previously had triplets which was very unusual and I thought this might be the case here, though the vet believed it would be two.

'The third came out and the vet said 'I'm pretty sure that's it but I will double check' and not too long after a fourth came out.

'We were all massively shocked. We did have some concerns over the ewe but she is now fit and healthy.'

Mrs Armstrong grew up on a farm breeding ewes, and has been keeping sheep herself now for three years.

She and her husband James have two daughters, Ruby, 10, and Isabel, 12, who also both help look after the sheep.

The pair mainly name the lambs after their favourite television characters.

This time the smallest lamb was named after the vet, called Annie, while the others were name Chase, Ashley and Caleb.

Figures into how rare surviving quadruplet lambs are vary and are as slim as one in 400 according to one farmer who preferred to remain anonymous.

The National Farmers Union was unable to provide exact statistics but said they were 'not common at all'.

Mrs Armstrong said: 'My parents were farmers for so many years and they were looking after sheep for much longer than we have and the same thing only ever happened to them on the one occasion.

'It is incredibly rare and even more so for all of the quads to survive as well.'

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