Page 2. Farming Express
Meet Battenberg - the black
(and white) sheep of the family
family stunned with his two-tone face.
The four-week-old lamb is all black on the
right side of his head and all white on the
Four-week-old lamb shocked owners after left in the “unique” woolly markings.
being born half white and half black - but And the amazing face may have saved his
it's believed his unique markings may have life – he was born on a Welsh hill farm in
saved him after being born in heavy snow severe winter weather and was only spotted
A black and white sheep has left a farming in the snow-covered fields because half his
face is black.
The young ram has been christened
Battenberg because the farmer’s young sons
think he looks like the two-coloured cake.
His unique black and white face could save
his life again – because he may end up as a
pet rather than on the dinner plate.
Farmer’s wife Marianne Griffiths, 44, said:
“We haven’t seen a lamb like it before.
“You either get a white lamb or a black one
– but not a half-and half one.”
And when it comes to Battenberg’s legs of
lamb – even they don’t match up.
His front right leg and back left legs are
black – while the other two are white.
Mum-of-three Marianne said: “Battenberg
is a real mixture which is a surprise because
both his mother and father are white.
“He was born while we were having a
tough time of it during the terrible snow
that fell in March.
“We were going out into the fields and
seeing dead sheep and new born lambs
“When we saw Battenberg with his
amazing two-tone face it gave us all a lift.”
The Texel cross lamb has become a big
hit with Marianne’s three sons Jordan, 11,
Jason, 10 and Ryan, eight.
Marianne and her husband Richard, 49,
have 550 ewes on their farm in the village
of Llanfihangel Talyllyn in t H