Lamb triplets born at Lincolnshire farm have two different dads
Apparently it's not that unusual
A set of lamb triplets have been born at a farm in Lincolnshire but they have two different dads!
Rand Farm park thinks one has a Jacob breed ram for a Dad while the others have a Herdwick.
Apparently this isn't that unusual it's just not often noticed as most farms only have sheep from one breed.
It's thought it may have happened whilst fence repairs were carried out last summer.
Nathan Brickwood from Rand Farm Park said;
“When they were born it was clear the lambs were a different breed to their mother.
"The first one popped out and was brown and white but… Dorsets are not brown. The second two were also not white and they came from our other ram, we have a Herdwick out there with his flock of ewes and he is the dad to two of them."
Veterinary surgeon Molly McKay said multiple births were not uncommon with sheep.
"They want to ensure they have the greatest chance of lambs so they multiple ovulate so it is quite normal for sheep to have two."
The fact the lambs have different paternity is also not unusual, it is just not often noticed as most farms only have sheep from one breed.
It is known as Heteropaternal superfecundation (HS), which occurs when two or more eggs are fertilised by two or more males during the same reproductive cycle.
"The research shows that about 30% of twins and about 50% of triplets are sired from more than one dad," Ms McKay added.