Hey kids! Christmas Day goats bring joy in 'exceptionally rare' occurrence
While some say the festive period is for the kids, it certainly proved that way for one Shropshire goat breeder who awoke on Christmas morning with four new arrivals.
The "exceptionally rare" occurrence happened on Christmas Day at John Robinson's farm in Barkers Green, Wem.
The 62-year-old goat breeder had gone to check on two of his pregnant pygmy goats, sisters Rosie and Cassey, to see the latter surrounded by four kids.
John said that having asked fellow goat breeders of 40 years, they had never seen a pygmy goat birth four kids at once.
"It's exceptionally rare," said John. "They normally have two and in very unusual cases have three, but it's very very rare for them to have four at once.
"It must have happened before but I haven't come across it and I haven't come across anyone who's had four kids at once either.
"And to have it on Christmas Day was so weird. They're all healthy but Cassey only has enough milk for two, so we're having to bottle feed them."
John, with the help of his partner, will have to tend to the kids, who are yet to be named, every four hours for two weeks.
"I came down to check on them at about 9.30am and common sense told me both sisters had given birth to two kids, and Rosie had walked off and left hers to be adopted.
"But when I checked on Rosie I could see she definitely hadn't given birth yet.
"I stood back and thought, 'wow, I've never seen this before'.
"What a nice thing, the timing on Christmas Day as well – that's nature for you."
Pygmy goats are miniature animals kept mainly for enjoyment, interest and companionship.
John said while the kids will more than likely be sold, he may keep one as a reminder of the Christmas Day miracle.
