‘Insanely cute’ Dutch Spotted lambs — the first in US — born at Vermont farm. See them
A batch of frozen embryos shipped to a Vermont farmer has led to the births of a breed of sheep new to the U.S.
This week, six “insanely cute” Dutch Spotted lambs were born at MKVT Farm in Glover, Vermont, according to Mark Rodgers, who owns the farm. The births were first reported by WCAX-TV.
With black spots marking their white fur, the babies will grow to be the first Dutch Spotted sheep in the U.S., Rodgers told McClatchy News on May 10.
The first two lambs, both males, were born May 5, followed by two more males, according to Rodgers. Two female lambs, including one named Hannah, were born most recently on May 8.
This is just the beginning for the Dutch Spotted sheep in the U.S., Rodgers said.
The embryos purchased by MKVT Farm arrived from the U.K. on Dec. 11, Rodgers said. The breed originates from the Netherlands and was introduced to the U.K. in 2016, according to Farming Life.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, sheep embryos can be imported into the U.S. from the U.K., but not from the Netherlands.
Before November 2022, sheep embryos from the U.K. weren’t allowed in the U.S. for 26 years, Rodgers explained.
“This was due to health regulations lingering from the outbreak of Mad Cow Disease in the UK in the 1990s,” he said.
After the embryos arrived, they were implanted into ewes at Tufts University Veterinary Field Service in Woodstock, Connecticut, according to Rodgers.
On May 7, another spotted lamb, which was purchased as an embryo from MKVT Farm, was born at Oddity Acres in New Jersey, Rodgers said.
“They are extremely hardy” and have “a wonderful temperament,” Rodgers said of the breed.
“Many UK flock owners have expressed a favoritism for the Dutch Spotted Sheep over the other breeds they own due to the temperament, ease of handling and the market value of the fast-growing lambs,” Rodgers explained.
They have a high market value in the U.K., where the grandmother sheep of one of the male spotted lambs at MKVT farm was purchased for $25,000, according to Rodgers.
In Virginia, there are two ewes pregnant with Dutch Spotted sheep embryos that are due in July, he said.
As for the lambs at MKVT Farm, they’re there to stay.
“The males will be developed as breeding stock to produce frozen semen that can be marketed to flocks around the United States,” Rodgers said. “The females will be used as foundation breeding stock to establish Dutch Spotted Sheep in the U.S.”
Rodgers is the president of the Dutch Spotted Sheep Society in the U.S.
His farm and the organization are planning to import 50 to 100 more Dutch Spotted sheep embryos and semen for breeding this year.
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