Ewes with extra teats can be found in many breeds but the amount of milk produced from these is only occasionally substantial. The aim of the breeding project was to investigate the possibility of developing a ewe with four functional teats.

A group of 15 ewes and four rams, all with four teats, together with five two-teated Cambridge ewes formed the initial nucleus group. Subsequently five four-teated Cambridge rams were used. The following measurements were recorded: (a) number of teats, (b) length of front (FL) and rear (RL) teats measured at 5 months of age, (c) distance between the front teat (FT) and front perimeter line of the fore udder (FU) measured post partum, (d) milk production from front (FM) and rear (RM) teats recorded over a 3h period at 2 to 4 days post partum using oxytocin to ensure complete let down.