Mich. farmer gets aww!-some shock in 5-lamb birth

[April 15, 2009]  VEVAY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- A Michigan farmer whose ewe gave birth to twins found himself carefully counting sheep when he later discovered three more lambs.

The Lansing State Journal reported Tuesday that one of Paul Oesterle's Suffolk-mix ewes gave birth to quintuplets last week. Michigan State University sheep expert Alan Culham says the chance of that breed bearing the multiple litter is one in 10,000.

Oesterle, whose farm is southeast of Lansing, says he thought the ewe had given birth to twins but he found three more lambs when he checked the next day.

Oesterle says the ewe can't produce enough for all five babies so he has to help feed them every six hours.

___

Information from:

Lansing State Journal, http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.