Farmer Richard Benton could not believe his eyes when one of his sheep gave birth to five lambs.

Picture : Janet Benton witht the five lambs born at Cowldyke Farm, Great Edstone, near Kirkbymoorside

After more than 35 years in the farming business, he thought he had seen it all.

But his wife Janet said: "He was absolutely amazed when it happened, and all our farming friends were as well. It's very, very rare."

Mr Benton, of Cowldyke Farm, Great Edstone, near Kirkbymoorside, had to deliver the first lamb, which was the wrong way around, and also the second and third.

Mrs Benton said: "Then he put his hand in again and lo and behold there was a fourth.

"He penned them up and, half an hour later, he went out and there was another lamb."

Mrs Benton said some of the Suffolk-Texel cross lambs were being bottle-fed as the mother could not possibly feed them all.She said the youngsters were all doing fine.

"They're very wick - very alert - because of the Texel in them. They were soon up on their feet and looking for the 'milk bar'."

The mighty quins, now six days old, are spending their days outdoors and being brought in at night.

Chris Lewis, of the National Sheep Association, said it was very unusual but not unheard of for a sheep to have five lambs.

Mr and Mrs Benson, whose son John works on the 140-acre farm, also run a bed & breakfast business and holiday cottages.

One woman has booked a holiday cottage for the whole of this week to be on a farm at the height of the lambing season.

Mrs Benson said the guest was proving to be a great asset as she was staying up until the early hours and letting them know if any of their 140-strong flock were in trouble.

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