At Nunthorpe’s Doulton Border Leicester, the season is only halfway through, with nearly 70 born and as many yet to come.

These rarebreeds, such as Sam the Ram pictured above with owner Ellie Stokeld, help produce US yarn which has proved popular on a global scale.

The farm here began with 25 sheep back in 1995, and has now grown to a flock of 300 with exports as far as Japan and Canada.

As ewe Gloria gave birth to lamb Emelia this week, said Ms Stokeld, that sense of nature at its finest shines through.

“It’s wonderful,” she said. “Gloria is a wonderful mother. The moment we put Emelia in front of her, she was blown away. She’s a natural mother.”