Farmer Finds 5-Legged Lamb in His Flock, Decides to Keep It as a Pet

A wool farmer from Orroroo, South Australia was surprised to find a five-legged lamb in his family’s flock of sheep, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported. He told ABC that once the young sheep has been weaned from its mother, he’ll take it home, where it will be raised as a pet.

Sam Kuerschner said that he was taking a break from shearing when his father “noticed something unusual about one of the lambs,” according to UPI.

“He had a bit of a second glance and said, ‘That sheep’s got five legs.’ We all sort of stood up and had a bit of a look and sure enough it did,” Kuerschner told ABC.

He continued to tell the broadcaster that he was both surprised and a little intrigued.

“I’m a shearer as well, so I’m around a fair few sheep and you hear a few stories. So I guess I wasn’t completely flabbergasted [that] it could possibly happen, but it’s certainly the first time I’ve seen one up close,” he said.

According to Kuerschner, the extra appendage hangs from the lamb’s neck. He joked that it looks as though the young sheep is sporting a mullet rather than a spare leg.

“I was speaking to a pastoralist who’s run thousands and thousands of sheep for 30 years and he’s never seen anything like it, so it’s definitely an anomaly,” he told ABC.

Though it’s not every day that an animal is born with a spare limb, it has been known to happen.

Newsweek previously reported that a dog in Oklahoma was born with six legs and two tails.

“Its [sic] possible she may need physical therapy and assistance with mobility as she gets older,” said Neel Veterinary Hospital at the time. “We will continue to research her conditions, monitor her development during rechecks and help keep Skipper pain-free and comfortable for the rest of life. She is doing well at home now.”

Last year, PerthNow reported that a five-legged lamb with six feet was found in Kojonup, Australia. Farmer Marshall Bowey named her starfish “because of her five legs.”

Kuerschner told ABC that the five-legged lamb from his family’s flock “seemed completely happy and healthy and didn’t seem to be suffering any kind of medical issue.”

Once the ewe is weaned from its mother, Kuerschner will likely take it home to raise it as a pet.

“I’ve got three little kids and they’ll be fascinated to have that as a bit of a special pet for hopefully the rest of its life,” he said.

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Original Article: Farmer Finds 5-Legged Lamb in His Flock, Decides to Keep It as a Pet (msn.com)