A FINE start to the lambing season at Snowshill Hill Farm, at Snowshill, has brought with it a surprise delivery of quads.

Born to a Texel x north country Mule ewe and sired by a Charollais ram, the four lambs, two female and two males, are an unusual sight at the farm owned by John Bourne and Son.

Carl Willn, who has been farm manager there for 16 years said the ewe was in her fourth breeding year and usually had twins.

"We were surprised to see she had quads, and they are all an equal and good size which is also unusual. You usually get one a lot smaller than the rest but these are all good lambs," he said.

Two hundred ewes have been lambed during February and by the end of March another 300 will have given birth. The farm expects between 750 to 800 lambs this year.

The lambs will be reared as fat lambs and go into the good chain with around 40 kept to add to the flock.

Mr Willn added the ewe was managing her larger-than-usual brood with little intervention.

"She is managing to rear them herself really well and is producing a lot of milk. I am just topping a couple of them up with a bottle," he added.