A Vermont farm expected a sheep to have twins, but she delivered rare sextuplets

(SeaPRwire) –   Anne O’Connor found herself counting sheep, but the experience was far from tiring.

A sheep at Clover & Bee Farm in Underhill, Vermont, managed by O’Connor and her husband Gunnar, recently delivered a rare set of six lambs. The health of both the mother and her sextuplets makes this unusual event even more impressive.

This particular ewe had previously birthed quadruplets. Although a recent veterinary exam suggested she was carrying twins, O’Connor had a hunch there were more. When labor began, the lambs just kept arriving.

“I had my suspicions because of her size and the fact that she went into labor early,” O’Connor remarked. “While six is wonderful, it is certainly a lot to handle.”

Estimates on the rarity of sheep sextuplets vary; O’Connor suggests odds of 1 in 1,000, while some agricultural sources claim it is as rare as one in a million. According to the Vermont Sheep & Goat Association, only one other local shepherd has reported such a large litter.

“They generally require more time to reach their full weight, but they usually thrive,” noted Kristen Judkins of Gilead Fiber Farm, who previously owned a ewe that produced sextuplets three years running. “Close monitoring is necessary during the initial weeks to ensure they receive adequate nutrition.”

The lambs, which are part Finnsheep, have been named using the Finnish words for the numbers one through six. Their mother, Teemu, is named after the famous Finnish hockey player Teemu Selänne. The O’Connors intend to keep the four females and rehome the two males.

Now entering its fifth summer, the farm produces wool, herbs, and berries. The recent births, along with two other new arrivals, have expanded the flock to 21 sheep, with five more ewes currently expecting.

Teemu’s time as a breeding ewe is expected to continue. After a period of rest, O’Connor believes she will likely have more lambs in the future.

“She is an excellent mother and is handling this situation beautifully,” O’Connor said. “She is still in her prime reproductive years, so she will probably continue for another year or so before she gets to retire.”