Sheep gives birth to five puppies in RS A Texel ewe gave birth to five puppies on a rural property in the interior of São Sepé, in the Central Region of Rio Grande do Sul. The birth took place at the farm owned by zootechnician Félix Kelling and drew attention due to the number of puppies. According to the producer, this is the ewe's third consecutive pregnancy with multiple births. In her first birth, she had four lambs. Last year, she gave birth to another four puppies. This time, five lambs were born: three males and two females. ? Access the g1 RS channel on WhatsApp "She has been surprising us here on the property. It is the third year in a row with multiple births. First there were four lambs, then four more and now five", he says. Breeding began in 2021, when Félix and his wife purchased ten Texel lambs from a breeder in the municipality. The idea was to maintain a small herd, with ten dams and one ram. "The intention was not to let it get too big. But it started to get out of control. Twin births came, then triplets", he says. The ewe that had the quintuplets already had an unusual reproductive history. In addition to the two previous births with four cubs each, her mother also recorded a birth of triplets. The case draws attention due to the history of multiple births throughout generations. According to the rural extensionist and veterinarian at the Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Company (Emater), Elusa Santos de Andrade, births of two or even three lambs are not uncommon in sheep farming. Many sheep breeds have greater reproductive activity in periods of the year with fewer hours of light, which favors the ovulation of more than one egg. When this is combined with good nutritional conditions, the chances of multiple pregnancies increase. For the veterinarian, the history observed on the property suggests the presence of genetic characteristics associated with prolificacy, that is, the ability to produce more puppies per pregnancy. Professor at the Department of Animal Science at the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Sérgio Carvalho explains that the birth of five lambs is an infrequent occurrence. "The incidence of births of two lambs or even three lambs is normal. Four or five lambs is not such a common thing to happen", he explains. According to the researcher, the repetition of multiple births in different generations reinforces the hypothesis of a genetic predisposition. Among the genes associated with this characteristic are Booroola and Vacaria, known for increasing the ovulation rate of sows and, consequently, the occurrence of numerous births. In addition to genetics, the producer attributes the results to the management adopted on the property. "We try to align nutrition, health and genetics. These factors need to go together for results like this to happen", he highlights. Last year, 30 lambs were weaned from a total of 14 ewes on the property. The creation has also been awarded in municipal and intermunicipal competitions promoted by Emater. In the last two years, it has won titles in the best trio, best lamb and best lamb trio categories. "This is the second year that we have been awarded. Our creation has only brought us joy", he says. Challenge in raising puppies Sheep gives birth to five puppies in São Sepé Images provided/ Félix Kelling In addition to the rarity of birth, raising the five lambs requires special care. According to Carvalho, the main challenge is feeding the puppies during the lactation period. “Raising five lambs is a very challenging condition for this breeder,” he says. Still according to the professor, a single sheep has difficulty producing enough milk to serve five offspring at the same time. Therefore, nutritional reinforcement for the matrix and food supplementation for lambs is necessary in the first weeks of life. One of the strategies used is creep feeding, a system in which puppies have access to concentrated feed in an exclusive space from 10 days of age onwards. The objective is to complement the diet and ensure the adequate development of the animals. VIDEOS: Everything about RS