Quintuplet lambs lead to happy ‘n-ewe’ year

Christopher and Niamh McLaughlin, who live in Isle of Doagh, said it ‘made Christmas’ when the quintuplet lambs were born just a few days before the festive celebrations.

It was a surprise to the couple as the ewe had been scanned and was expected to give birth to three lambs.

Niamh told the ‘Journal:’ “On the Sunday,around 12, we went down to check and she had already had one herself. We pulled the other two out and as she had been scanned for three, thought that was it. By good luck, Christopher said he would check and with the tip of his fingers, could feel the hooves of the fourth one. Four is unusual enough. When it was born, we took the lambs over to the straw bedding and next thing we looked, the ewe nearly had the fifth one out herself. It was definitely a surprise!”

Niamh said that the birth was the first time quintuplet lambs had been born in three generations of farming.

“There have been none in Christopher’s time,or his father or grandfather. They’re all doing great and we were able to foster two of the lambs to other ewes. It just made Christmas.

The lambs are Belclare lambs, which Niamh said are known for birthing multiples.

While, ordinarily, the lambs wouldn’t be born until after Christmas, Niamh and Christopher decided to bring the season forward this year due to the Covid pandemic and ‘having nowhere to go!”.