A sheep farmer in Co. Meath welcomed the birth of quadruplets on his farm following a tough year with dog attacks.
Speaking to the Meath Chronicle, Gus Martyn, who farms in Dunderry, revealed that a Suffolk cross ewe gave birth to the four healthy lambs.
“It’s an exceptional day today, this ewe here had four lambs only two hours ago. At least this year is starting off with a bit of luck so far.
“Two years ago we hadn’t much luck with ewes or lambs, two wandering dogs killed a lot of ewes and lambs on me.
So we had a very bad year, it was a very hard year on the whole family.
“This year so far it’s great to see this ewe here having four lambs and they’re quite healthy as you can see. Four strong lambs, only two hours ago. Things are looking up for 2017 already.
“I have more ewes out the back, I’d say we’re going to have a lot more threes and fours with the way things are looking,” Martyn said.
The odds of a ewe giving birth to quadruplets is close to one in 400, but it’s very rare for all four to live after being born without receiving some assistance, Martyn told the Meath Chronicle.
The Co. Meath farmer was even more surprised by the birth, given the fact that the ewe was part of a flock that was attacked by dogs on his farm two years ago.
Following the attack many of the sheep were left traumatised, with some aborting lambs or not becoming pregnant at all, he sad.
Martyn reminded all dog owners to ensure their pets are secured properly, especially with the lambing season now getting underway.
