Irene Fowlie’s 10-week-old Superman, as he’s been named, tips the scales at a staggering eight-and-a-half stone, or 120lbs.
That’s not far off the weight of an average woman – and more than double that of most other sheep his age.
Astonishingly, the youngster is expected to continue to grow for another four months, which means he’s likely to be even bigger than his dad Samson who weighs 23 stone, or 322lbs.
Gran-of-five, Irene, 63, said: “Superman arrived weighing 17lbs but he’s almost bigger than his mum Bessie.
“When I called the sheep registration body to register him they called back to double-check his weight.
“He’s a bit of a mummy’s boy though. After he got his picture taken he raced back up the field to her and stuck like glue to her side.”
Former English teacher Irene, whose farm is in Strichen, Aberdeenshire, believes her sheep thrive because she mothers them.
“I look after them the way I did my three children,” she smiled. “Now I have become so immersed in my sheep that I can point to any one and tell you who the mother and father are.”
Her flock all respond to her calls when she’s rounding them up and she doesn’t even need a sheepdog to help her.
Irene, who won a national farming award last year, added: “When I left teaching three years ago I never dreamt I would go on to become a successful farmer but I’m loving it.”
Irene is among a select band of female sheep breeders in the UK.
She’s been so successful farmers from across Europe are beating a path to her door to buy up her stock.
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