Lambing surprise for Wiltshire farmer as two sets of triplets born within days of each other

Two sets of triplets have been born at Roves Farm near Swindon, Wiltshire Credit: Roves Farm

A Wiltshire farmer got a surprise this week when she entered the lambing shed to find not one, but two, sets of triplets had been born.

Pippa Bolter manages the flock at Roves Farm, a visitor centre and working farm near Swindon. She is in charge of two breeds on-site - the Poll Dorsets and the Continentals.

While lambs are often associated with spring, the Poll Dorset breed tends to lamb earlier in the season, with Roves' last few deliveries expected by next week at the latest.

Ms Bolter said: "Triplets are not uncommon, but we’ve had twice as many as we would expect this week. This breed is really laid-back and friendly and their niche is that they lamb earlier than other breeds.

This cute trio arrived on Sunday 7 January Credit: Roves Farm

"One of the mums managed two of the births by herself and then we had to help her with the third because the lamb was facing the wrong way.

"Usually they come out front feet and nose first, which allows their shoulders to slide out quite easily, but if they come back feet first, it makes the shoulders too wide."

The first trio were all girls and the second set contained two girls and a boy. But, while six new lambs might sound like a handful, it's all in a day's work for Pippa.

"By April, we'll be delivering the lambs from our Continental ewes. Last year, we had two sets of quintuplets from them - and that was really rare."

Poll Dorsets are famed for being the only sheep that can breed all year round and their docile nature makes them perfect for meeting the public on the farm.

All the lambs are marked with the same number as their mum, to help Pippa keep track. Credit: Roves Farm

There are over 50 ewes currently in the lambing shed, some with single births, some with twins - and of course, two with triplets.

Pippa said: "We scan them at 90 days to count the lambs so we make sure we’re feeding them the right amount, because obviously a ewe with a single lamb won’t need as much to eat as one with three.

"If a ewe has more than two lambs, we adopt extra lambs onto a ewe that’s only having one lamb, because ewes have only got two teets, so they can only feed two lambs at once.

"The only way she’ll accept the lamb is if we give them a bath in her lambing fluid so it smells like her. It’s not perfect, but it usually works.

"Then we put her real lamb in beside her and she usually doesn’t register that she hasn’t given birth for the second time.

"After a few days drinking her milk, it will smell like her."

The last few lambs are expected to arrive next week, giving people a chance to come down to the lambing shed to meet them.