EWE GIVES BIRTH TO SEVEN LAMBS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 300, 15 September 1937, Page 13

EWE GIVES BIRTH TO SEVEN LAMBS

All Alive, But Mother Dies WORLD RECORD THOUGHT LIKELY By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, September 14. Knowing that a ewe in his Hock was due to lamb, Mr. W. J. C. Sheat, Dunsandel, kept a close eye on her, inspecting her several times on Saturday morning. Between 10.30 and 11 o’clock she commenced to lamb and give birth to seven lambs. The last one was difficult to deliver, and apparently the effort was too much for the mother, for she died about 24 hours after her record-breaking achievement. All the lambs are living. One was quite a good size, three were normal and three were small. Five were ewes and two rams. The three small ones were put in an oven for a little while but, after a drink, they joined the other members of the family, the weakest at the beginning becoming one of the nippiest. They were all quite lively today. The ewe was a five-year Corriedale bought by -Mr. Sheat. from North Canterbury two years ago. Last year she had four lambs, three of which were alive and one dead. This contribution of seven lambs is definitely a New Zealand record and. from the viewpoint of the survival of the lot, is probably a world record.