Search is on to find the father of rare dwarf hogget ram Noddy

Noddy the dwarf hogget ram is given a trim by Michael Moran from Clonbur. Photo: Ray Ryan

Noddy with his best pal, a Zwartble ram. Photo: Ray Ryan

Noddy the dwarf hogget ram is given a trim by Michael Moran from Clonbur. Photo: Ray Ryan

Noddy with his best pal, a Zwartble ram. Photo: Ray Ryan

Noddy the dwarf hogget ram is given a trim by Michael Moran from Clonbur. Photo: Ray Ryan

Jacqueline Hogg

March 25 2021 02:30 AM

The hunt is on to find the father of a dwarf ram that is believed to be the only one of its kind in Ireland.

Noddy, who was born on a farm in south Sligo last summer, now resides on a farm in Connemara, with his new owner, Paddy Rock who lives in Clonbur.

Measuring 80cm long by 50cm high, Noddy is nine months old and is unlikely to grow any larger.

Paddy, who bought the animal last week, has traced his mother to be a Connemara Ewe, but the paternal side of the family remains sketchy.

“He’s a little bit like one of the Queen’s Corgi’s,” laughs Paddy, who said in 40 years of dealing with sheep he had never come across an animal like Noddy.

“He’s a twin, who arrived the day after the farmer in Sligo had bought the mother, not knowing she was in lamb. His brother is perfectly sized but it soon became apparent that Noddy wasn’t getting a regular supply of his mother’s beastings, which is of vital importance to a lamb in the first 24 hours.”

The farmer reared Noddy on a bottle but he failed to keep pace with his brother and despite now having a longer body, his legs are considerably shorter.

“We know the mother was a Connemara Ewe so the hope is his father is also of Connemara stock and the fact we have Noddy back in this part of the country we are hoping to reunite them. That is if daddy hasn’t ended up on a plate somewhere in Europe by now,” added Paddy.

Paddy is hoping that if Noddy’s father can’t be tracked down, he will be adopted by a farmer who can take care of him long term.

“What Noddy needs is to go to a good home because it’s going to get very busy around here in the next few weeks as the hill flocks are starting to lamb,” he said.

“The fact he has survived, being so small at birth, and he mixes well with other sheep means he deserves a nice home. We’re also hoping to donate any adoption fee to the Madra animal rescue shelter to help with the work they do.”