Forget the polar blast: Lamb triplets herald spring on Ōpua farm

Annabel lines up her 3-day-old lambs for a family photo. Photo / Peter de Graaf

While winter snow piles up at the other end of the country Gray Phillips is welcoming the first signs of spring on his Ōpua farm.

Though it's barely a week since the shortest day Phillips has not only a paddock full of gambolling lambs, one of his ewes has given birth to triplets for the first time in the 70-odd years he's been around sheep.

''It's something special. Not too many sheep have triplets. It's the first time for me and I've been farming on and off all my life.''

It's still June but Gray Phillips already has a paddock full of gambolling lambs. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The ewe, a Romney named Annabel, is part of Phillips' hobby farm of sheep, cattle, alpacas and poultry.

He would task his mokopuna with choosing names for the now 3-day-old triplets.

Sandra Taylor, of Beef + Lamb NZ, said triplets were becoming increasingly common as genetics and feed improved.

Triplets were a sign of how healthy and fertile the ewe was, which was likely the result of being well-fed and looked after over summer.

This 3-day-old lamb is pretty sure spring is just around the corner. Photo / Peter de Graaf

June was early for lambs but not unheard of. In low-lying parts of Canterbury, for example, some farmers would start producing lambs around now to cater for the spring lamb market.

Despite the polar blast sweeping up the country she expected the Ōpua lambs would be fine given the North's relatively mild temperatures and the individual attention they were receiving.

Ōpua's Gray Phillips with one of his new lambs. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Phillips, 79, was raised at Ōue in South Hokianga, farmed at Kaikohe and ran an educational farm in west Auckland before settling in Ōpua.