The sheep surprised the owner with the number of cubs in one pregnancy. Pintadona, as she is called, shocked the Ruppenthal family, who live on the Tiradentes line, in the depths of Concordia, west of Santa Catarina.
Puppies were born at the end of June. – Photo: Personal Archive/Disclosure/NDThis is because after giving birth to triplets three times in a row, the last pregnancy was a quadruple. This case is considered rare by experts and occurs in less than 1% of sheep.
Thiago owner Eloi Ruppenthal says he was caught off guard. “My father-in-law saw that she was in labor and called me. When I arrived there, I had four puppies. I even looked closely to see if there were any other lambs that could give birth, but I saw that these were really her four.
Puppies are strong and healthy. – Photo: Personal Archive/Disclosure/NDThe puppies were born healthy, although slightly smaller than normal due to the number of animals. A little over 30 days after birth, the puppies are healthy and healthy. The only difference is that the mother gets more food than a sheep in the pasture in order to be able to provide milk for all four.
For him, the most important thing is that the animals come healthy, develop well, especially in terms of health. “We want to increase the herd, which now has 25 sheep, but we are surprised because it is growing too fast,” the owner jokes.
multiple pregnancy
Genetics professor José Francisco Manta Braganza explains that two puppies are the most common, but multiple pregnancies are related to the ovulation rate of sheep. “She will release one, two, three, four eggs in her cycle, and this will determine the multiple pregnancy. Making it clear that it is determined by a woman, not a man.
In addition to ovulation, the professor mentions that the issue of nutrition, especially in the pre-marital period, can contribute to multiple pregnancies.
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*According to reporter Renata Albuquerque from NDTV Chapecó.
Source: Ndmais