One in a million sheep births five lambs

A sheep has defied the one in a million odds of giving birth to five lambs.

Staff at Kentwell Hall near Long Melford, Suffolk, were shocked when the Norfolk horn ewe birthed the quintuplets on Wednesday afternoon.

Livestock manager Dan Clinton said it was "great news for the farm".

"Everyone is so excited," he said.

"I was just about to move some sheep but myself and my colleague thought we had better check her before we go off so we don't miss it.

"We lambed her and they just kept on coming."

Visitors to Kentwell Hall will be able to see the ewe and her five lambs

The lambs were birthed backwards but all survived and "were straight up" on their legs.

"They are all nice and healthy, I fed them at 05:00 and they were all running around enjoying life," Mr Clinton added.

The mother ewe is similarly doing well, and Mr Clinton said she was "doing all the things she should be" including cleaning her lambs.

Mr Clinton said he had only seen one other set of quintuplets being born during his career, but to a different breed of sheep and one of the lambs died on that occasion.

"If people want to come and see them - it would be great," said Mr Clinton.