Sheep in sheep’s clothing! Lambs orphaned by severe drought are given hand-knitted jumpers to survive a freezing cold snap
- Marie Knight said, a farmer from Coonabarabran started the initiative a year ago
- She has since given out more than 56,000 jumpers to farmers for their lambs
- She received offers from people in the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia
Adorable lambs that have been orphaned by severe drought conditions have been given colourful hand-knitted jumpers to help them survive a freezing cold snap.
Marie Knight, a farmer from Coonabarabran in northwest New South Wales, started the initiative one year ago and has since given out more than 56,000 jumpers.
‘It’s crazy and absolutely beautiful,’ she told the ABC.
‘The jumpers certainly help the lambs – and I planned on that – but what I never planned for was the extra support that would come pouring in from the people who knit them.’
Adorable lambs that have been orphaned by severe drought conditions have been given colourful hand-knitted jumpers to help them survive a freezing cold snap
Marie Knight, a farmer from Coonabarabran in northwest New South Wales, started the initiative one year ago and has since distributed more than 56,000 jumpers
Temperatures have dropped to as low as -7C in Coonabarabran in June.
Ms Knight’s colourful initiative began when she put a call out online for knitters to help her with the jumpers.
She said she has had offers from people in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, as well as in Australia.
‘The furthest afield we have received jumpers was from Belgium and they actually came with beautiful chocolates,’ she said.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, NSW is set for a drier than average winter which could see higher surface air pressures, and less clouds causing a higher risk of frost.
Ms Knight has had offers from people in the US, Canada, New Zealand, and all over Australia
Geoff Duddy, a sheep expert, said that lambs are most vulnerable in the first three days of their existence because they use a lot of their energy to keep warm.
He commended the jumper idea and said it will help the lambs who are in danger of the cold. However he said to not put a jumper on lambs who don’t require it.
‘If you are entering the paddock and disturbing the ewe to pull a jumper on the lamb that could interfere with their relationship and put the lamb at risk,’ he said.
‘Further, if lambs get wet while in their jumpers – assuming they’re unlined – that could actually cause them a lot of harm.’
Geoff Duddy, a sheep expert, said lambs are most vulnerable in the first three days of their existence because they use a lot of their energy to keep warm