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Lambing time at Menheniot

Triplets leave farmers in clover

Farmer Mervyn Rowe and his son Richard are in clover with this year's lambs.

For with 50 ewes lambed already, Mervyn and Richard have found they already have five sets of triplets while in a normal year they might only expect two in the whole season.

Mervyn is putting the sheep's fertility down to the fact that when the ram came to call last autumn they were in a field of clover at Tregondale Farm, Menheniot, near Liskeard, which he has noticed has increased the fertility of his prize winning South Devon cattle in the past.

With more than 100 ewes still to give birth, he is hoping that this year will see a bumper season for lambs as the number of twins is already up on past seasons, too.

"It has been such a success we will make sure the ewes are on clover this year when the ram calls again," he adds. "With a success rate like this, it must have been four leaf clover right across the field!"

Caption: Charisse Rowe, aged four, her father Richard, grandfather Mervyn and Blitzen the sheepdog, with one of Tregondale's ewes and her triplets.