An old ewe, so ancient she has not even got any teeth, surprised her owners when she unexpectedly produced four perfectly-healthy lambs. Susanne Dearlove, of Whitwell Grange, Whitwell-on-the-Hill, near Malton, was pleased when she initially noticed that geriatric ewe Missey had given birth to two lambs.
When she looked again a little while later, she was amazed to see the old girl with four offspring.
She said: "She looks completely disreputable and hasn't even got any teeth.
"She was due to be sold last year, but sheep were fetching such a bad price that we thought we'd give her a second chance."
Missey belongs to Mrs Dearlove's daughter, Amy, who is in her second year at university.
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article