Bleating hearts times four: New arrivals at the vo-ag center

Mary had a little lamb — or two or three or four.

News spread when a Kalispell sheep gave birth to quadruplets — a rare occurrence — on Feb. 18 at the H.E. Robinson Agricultural Education Center. The lambs are a Suffolk Hampshire cross.

“It’s very rare,” vocational agriculture teacher Brian Bay said.

What’s even more remarkable is that the 3-year-old ewe known as 12-3 gave birth to the four lambs — three males and one female — on her own without assistance.

For all four lambs to survive was confirmation of great genetics and the high quality care, nutrition and food that livestock receive at the vo-ag center. There was also a little bit of luck in this instance, Bay said.

Bay, who started the sheep program, hasn’t seen a quadruplet birth in the 13 years he has taught at the vo-ag center.

During lambing season, Bay is on call, checking day and night on the pregnant ewes, but he missed the quadruplets’ birth by an hour and a half. 

He arrived at the center around 7:30 a.m. Feb. 18 and estimated they were born around 6 a.m.

“They were all born and they were all standing, which is unheard-of,” Bay said. “What happens is there are so many legs they get tangled and sometimes you have to reach into the ewe to untangle them.”

When he discovered the tiny lambs that cold morning, they were shivering and weak — but alive. 

The lambs were small, weighing between six and eight pounds when average lambs are usually 10 to 14 pounds, Bay said. 

Making sure the lambs had enough nutrients in the first 12 hours was crucial because ewes only have two teats. 

Bay set to work giving them tube feedings of colostrum — a form of mother’s milk containing important antibodies, fats, minerals and vitamins.

“A lamb will eat six ounces of colostrum in the first 12 hours,” Bay said.

A makeshift nursery was set up inside a heated shop building for the ewe and lambs. 

The mother was in good company with two other ewes — one a first-time mother with twins and another ewe whose lamb was having a difficult start in life. 

Lambing season has been off to a busy start at the vo-ag center. A set of triplets, eight sets of twins and three single lambs have been born in addition to the quadruplets. 

On Friday, students studying veterinary science were busy tagging and castrating lambs that eventually will be sold to FFA and 4-H students to show.

The quadruplets’ births were unexpected, according to senior vo-ag student Raylene Kerney.

“It’s never happened at the ag center and it never really happens in the valley. It was a good surprise, though. We’re glad they’re doing good,” Kerney said.

Sophomore vo-ag student Krystal Sutton has a lot of experience with sheep — she and her sister are raising 20 of their own.

“Less than one percent of all sheep have quads,” Sutton said. “It was really shocking. Mr. Bay sent me the picture and I didn’t believe it at first, honestly. It was really exciting.” 

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.