Brinsbury sheep to gain a new fleece of life

All ten of the campus’ Jacob breeding ewes are pregnant, one with quadruplets, following a successful mating season with Rupert the Ram.

Jacob Sheep, known for their striking horns and black and white faces, are a rare breed of small sheep that has graced the fields of large estates and country homes across England for centuries.

Gemma Warren, one of the instructors at the animal centre at Brinsbury, said: “We are very happy to announce that we are expecting the arrival of 21 lambs in the new year.

“Six of our ewes are expecting twins, one has triplets on the way and another is carrying quadruplets – so we are going to be very busy in January.

“It’s great news for our flock and I think the girls (ewes) are particularly impressed as this means they can have double helpings of food, which they love!

“Jacob Sheep are particularly pretty sheep, and their impressive horns and unusual colouring have no doubt contributed to their survival against more commercial sheep breeds.”

These will be the first lambs of 2017 for Brinsbury, the countryside campus of Chichester Campus, and more will be expected in March – ready for the college’s Lambing Live season.