Very rare event on a special day: Sheep "Whisky" gives birth to quadruplets at Easter

Created: 04/19/2022, 17:00

By: Magdalena Hoecherl

All doing well: Two days after giving birth, the ewe “Whisky” and her quadruplets are out on the pasture.

Marion Mendel is relieved that everything went so well.

© Lehmann

Church bells heralded the birth: quadruplets of lambs were born in Kranzberg on Easter Sunday - a very rare event.

Berg – You won't find the Easter bunny at the Mendel family in Berg (Kranzberg municipality).

But there are real Easter lambs there - four of them.

When the church clock in St. Quirin in Kranzberg struck 9 a.m. on Easter Sunday, things started: “Whisky”, one of 30 ewes on the farm, gave birth to four lambs in one and a half hours.

"That's something special," says Christian Mendel.

Breeder for over 40 years

The 63-year-old means not only the birthday, but also the number of "babies".

"Four lambs at once are extremely rare." Mostly there are twins, now and then triplets.

Four, on the other hand, are exceptional.

Mendel should know, having been breeding sheep for over 40 years.

The fact that three of the Easter lambs are black is nothing unusual: "That's due to the breed." Christian Mendel and his wife Marion breed Alpine stone sheep, whose fur is often black at birth and usually turns gray later.

But what is another special feature: All four are goat lambs, i.e. male.

"It's a bit of a pity that there are no female animals, because the Alpine Steinschaf is an old, endangered breed of domestic animal in Germany," explains Mendel, who helps to preserve the stock through his breeding.

Meal: Marion Mendel has to bottle feed little “Peter”.

© Lehmann

Nevertheless, the Mendels are happy about the offspring - now, two days later, even more so.

“For the first 24 hours, you always have concerns about whether everyone will make it through.

Happiness and worry lie side by side there,” says Marion Mendel.

"But now that the worst is over, I can really be happy." Because not only are the quadruplets doing well, but also mother "Whisky" has recovered well from the five months of gestation and the subsequent birth.

“It was her sixth lambing, she has already given birth to 18 lambs.

But four at once is of course a challenge.”

"Peter" is fed with the bottle

In order to continue to support the animal, Marion Mendel takes on the role of mother to one of the lambs.

"One of them isn't the smartest," says Christian Mendel.

"It didn't quite check how the mother's milk works." So the baby is now bottle-fed - five times a day.

That's why the little lamb is the only one that has been given a name so far: "Peter".

"Because he should learn that he comes when I call him," says Marion Mendel.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

The 56-year-old does not have to completely replace the mother for "Peter": "Whisky" has accepted all her lambs.

Now the five of the sheep family are running around on the lush green pasture next to the Mendels' house.

And who knows what Easter surprise “Whisky” will come up with next year.

You can find more current news from the district of Freising at Merkur.de/Freising.