A mare fosters three orphaned lambs
What do you get if you combine one amiable mare with three abandoned lambs? In the instance of one Somerset family, the arrangement was novel and unexpected.
Welsh part of Becky Popham A mare Despite the fact that she last gave birth to a foal five years ago, Heidi has taken the triplets under her wing and is even feeding them.
When the lambs’ mothers passed away, Becky claimed she adopted Prince, George, and Dewdrop from a local farmer because they needed a place to live.
She explained, “I moved them in with Heidi as they needed to be somewhere safe. When she returned from her nights out, she would lie down, and they would climb all over her. She was really friendly to them; they would stand underneath her and stay close to her legs.
“She’s got a big stable and open area, big enough for them all to share. I had them separated but they wanted to get in with her, and she’s taken them under her wing.”
According to Becky, Heidi has behaved like any other mother, providing milk to feed the children in addition to reprimanding them when they cross the line.
She added, “She’s breastfeeding, but she’s not producing a lot of milk, and she’s feeding them. “I took it to the vet, who said it was completely OK and simply one of those arbitrary acts of nature.
It’s quite sweet when she stands there and kisses them after letting them latch on and having them butt up into her udders as lambs do. She must have realized they required a mummy.
