Lamb with multicoloured fleece is born at Reaseheath

The lamb shows a dark fleece at its front and a light one at its back

A lamb showing two distinctly different types of fleece has been born at Reaseheath College in south Cheshire.

The lamb inherited its grandmother's Swaledale characteristics as well as its grandfather's Bluefaced Leicester type. It is extremely unusual to see this kind of precise genetic split.

The college's Sheep Flock Manager, Matt Bagley, said: "It's the first time I've seen something like this in 25 years".

Members of the public saw the lamb at the college's open lambing- weekend.

Matt Bagley says it is the first time he has seen such a thing

Wonderful Nature

Matt Bagley, speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, continued: "Nature's wonderful, you never know what you will be gifted with next.

"This one lamb illustrates to all visitors and students the workings of genetics and provides a fantastic opportunity for everyone to see how unique life can be."

The lamb was born just in time for the last of the college's 2011 open lambing-weekends.

Members of the public were able to see the lamb for themselves on March 13 and 14.

Reaseheath

Reaseheath College near Nantwich in South Cheshire, takes students who want to specialise in agricultural and countryside studies.

The sheep-flock, a commercial enterprise which is also used as a teaching tool at Reaseheath, recently took top sheep flock category in the Cheshire Farms Competition.