THOUSANDS of visitors had a spring put in their step as they witnessed the arrival of hundreds of lambs, twins and triplets during the successful second lambing weekend at Wiltshire College.

Students from Lackham campus flocked to the fields to help more than 850 ewes with their births last weekend in a spectacle watched by many.

Lackham’s assistant principal Ian Revill said: “What a difference the sunshine made - it was so nice to see people enjoying a taste of real spring.

"I don’t think we have ever had so many lambs born in front of the visitors before in any other years.

“Most people who were game to patiently ‘stale out’ at pens were rewarded with the sight of a ewe giving birth.

"Although the public weekends have finished, we will still be lambing for a while, with well over a hundred ewes still to go, whilst the earlier ones are already out on the new grass enjoying the sunshine while it lasts.”

Staff at the Lackham farm have hailed this year as the busiest yet and while members of the public have been able to visit the farm for the past two weekends, the season has been underway for quite some time.

More than 850 of the college’s 1,000 lambs have given birth to 1,250 lambs in a short amount of time with more on the way.

Chris Taylor, deputy head of the department for agriculture and horticulture, said: “I am immensely proud of all the Lackham students that worked over the two lambing weekends.

“Thank you to all the tractor drivers and guides, those on lambing duty and those who showed the public how cows are milked.

“They all did a fantastic job and we should all be grateful on how they represented both the agriculture and farm mechanisation departments.

“In addition I would like to thank all the staff from all the campuses who worked so hard and made the event such an immense success.”