Farmer Dinah Thompson is used to counting sheep at this time of year but she had to double check the one-in-a-million arrival of these five lambs. The incredibly rare quintuplets have shocked the world of agriculture after being born to a hardy ewe at a farm in Shropshire. Ms Thompson, 55, has had the mother sheep, called Mrs Holmes, for three years and every lambing season so far she has given birth to twin lambs. Little miracles: Shropshire farmer Dinah Thompson, 55, was amazed when her prize ewe 'Mrs Holmes' delivered a quintuplet of tiny lambs this week . Shock: Ms Thompson was expecting her prized ewe to produce triplets so was stunned when five babies arrived . This year, a scan had shown that the Kerry Texel ewe was due to have triplets so after three new-borns arrived Dinah left Mrs Holmes to it and went off for a cup of coffee. Dinah said: 'I checked on the mum at 10.15pm and saw she was having two small lambs. 'I knew she was having triplets so I waited for number three to arrive and when it did I went off for a cup of coffee. 'There was a bit of a noise in the shed and when I returned 20 minutes later there were five little lambs who were all alive and healthy and they are absolutely adorable.' The lambs all weigh just over three pounds each but Dinah is having to bottle feed three of them with formula milk every four hours as Mrs Holmes only has two teats. Dinah, who has worked on the family-run Coombe Farm near Ludlow, Shropshire, all her life, said: 'They're all doing very well. 'We have her mum in one pen and the lambs are in a little pen next to her, so they can keep in contact. 'I have never seen anything like it before. I've had times when four lambs have been born but never five, it is incredibly rare. 'The fact they are all alive and pretty even sized is amazing. 'We haven't quite got round to naming them yet but were thinking of taking some of the names from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.' Stats amazing: There is just a one-in-a-million chance of a ewe producing quintuplets . Dinah is expecting 178 ewes on her farm to give birth to about 340 lambs, most of which will end up as roast dinners in the future. Oliver Cartwright, a spokesman for the National Farmers Union, said: 'Quintuplets are very rare and I bet it came as a real surprise especially as it was not picked up on the scans ahead of lambing. 'We hear of a lot about twins and triplets that are born on farms, but surviving quintuplets are something very special and unusual. 'This sort of thing may be a once in a generation experience. 'At the moment it's a busy time for sheep farmers. Helping to rear the quintuplets will help to ease the pressure on the mum.'
Shropshire farmer Dinah Thompson, 55, left stunned my mammoth arrival .
Farmer Dinah Thompson is used to counting sheep at this time of year but she had to double check the one-in-a-million arrival of these five lambs. The incredibly rare quintuplets have shocked the world of agriculture after being born to a hardy ewe at a farm in Shropshire. Ms Thompson, 55, has had the mother sheep, called Mrs Holmes, for three years and every lambing season so far she has given birth to twin lambs. Little miracles: Shropshire farmer Dinah Thompson, 55, was amazed when her prize ewe 'Mrs Holmes' delivered a quintuplet of tiny lambs this week . Shock: Ms Thompson was expecting her prized ewe to produce triplets so was stunned when five babies arrived . This year, a scan had shown that the Kerry Texel ewe was due to have triplets so after three new-borns arrived Dinah left Mrs Holmes to it and went off for a cup of coffee. Dinah said: 'I checked on the mum at 10.15pm and saw she was having two small lambs. 'I knew she was having triplets so I waited for number three to arrive and when it did I went off for a cup of coffee. 'There was a bit of a noise in the shed and when I returned 20 minutes later there were five little lambs who were all alive and healthy and they are absolutely adorable.' The lambs all weigh just over three pounds each but Dinah is having to bottle feed three of them with formula milk every four hours as Mrs Holmes only has two teats. Dinah, who has worked on the family-run Coombe Farm near Ludlow, Shropshire, all her life, said: 'They're all doing very well. 'We have her mum in one pen and the lambs are in a little pen next to her, so they can keep in contact. 'I have never seen anything like it before. I've had times when four lambs have been born but never five, it is incredibly rare. 'The fact they are all alive and pretty even sized is amazing. 'We haven't quite got round to naming them yet but were thinking of taking some of the names from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.' Stats amazing: There is just a one-in-a-million chance of a ewe producing quintuplets . Dinah is expecting 178 ewes on her farm to give birth to about 340 lambs, most of which will end up as roast dinners in the future. Oliver Cartwright, a spokesman for the National Farmers Union, said: 'Quintuplets are very rare and I bet it came as a real surprise especially as it was not picked up on the scans ahead of lambing. 'We hear of a lot about twins and triplets that are born on farms, but surviving quintuplets are something very special and unusual. 'This sort of thing may be a once in a generation experience. 'At the moment it's a busy time for sheep farmers. Helping to rear the quintuplets will help to ease the pressure on the mum.'
Shropshire farmer Dinah Thompson, 55, was amazed