Helping hand: Luke Watson feeds the two orphaned black lambs called Oliver and Annie who were born at Tatton Park Farm, Cheshire last week They didn't have the best start in life when they were left orphaned, but Oliver and Annie have become very fond of farmyard apprentice Luke Watson, their surrogate parent. The new-born black lambs were discovered by rangers at Tatton Park, Cheshire, over the Easter weekend next to the dead body of their mother, who had died during their birth.
The cuddly male and female pair - named Oliver and Annie in honour of their orphaned status - have now latched on to Mr Watson, 19, as their primary carer and follow him around the yard like a shadow
Mr Watson, who has been working at Tatton Park farm in Cheshire for three months, has been bottle-feeding and caring for the lively Hebridean twins.
Happy trio: The cuddly male and female pair have now latched on to Mr Watons, 19, as their primary carer and follow him around the yard like a shadow
You got a friend in me: Mr Watson said 'They follow me around. We bring them out and they walk about and run about a bit. They are quite mischievous'He is currently studying towards and NVQ in Agriculture, said: 'We’re just bottle-feeding them with goat’s milk, 150ml each five times a day. We start feeding them at around 10am then stagger it through the day.'
He said they are currently being kept in separate pens and the farm is considering trying to 'pair them off with another sheep.'
'They follow me around. We bring them out and they walk about and run about a bit. They are quite mischievous. Oliver is often very lively and loves running about and mucking around with the dog and likes to chase the dog a bit,' he added.
Farm rivalry: Kip, the farm's sheepdog is now a rival for Mr Watson's affections - and it looks set to get worse as twenty four farm ewes are due to lamb over the next few daysThe orphaned lambs were born on Good Friday, and are one of three sets of twins born in the last few days at the park, in addition to four single lambs, as their annual spring ‘baby boom’ gets underway.
Twenty-four of the park’s ewes are due to lamb this season, with 14 sets of twins, two sets of triplets and eight single lambs expected in total by the end of next week, leaving park staff and visitors literally counting sheep.
The flock are mainly Suffolk cross, but there are also three rare breed Leicester longwool ewes expecting five lambs between them.
source: dailymail
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