Battenburg is the black and white sheep of his family

A black and white sheep has left a farming family stunned with his two-tone face. The four-week-old Texel cross lamb is all black on the right side of his head and all white on the left in the "unique" woolly markings. And his face may have saved his life - he was born on Richard  Griffiths' Welsh hill farm in the village of Llanfihangel Talyllyn in the Brecon Beacons National Park during severe winter weather and was only spotted in the snow-covered fields because half his face is black.



The young ram has been christened Battenberg because of his resemblance to the two-coloured cake. His black and white face could save his life again - because he may end up as a pet rather than on the dinner plate. Farmer's wife Marianne, 44, said: "We haven't seen a lamb like it before.

"You either get a white lamb or a black one - but not a half-and half one." And when it comes to Battenberg's legs of lamb - even they don't match up. His front right leg and back left legs are black - while the other two are white. Marianne said: "Battenberg is a real mixture which is a surprise because both his mother and father are white.



"He was born while we were having a tough time of it during the terrible snow that fell in March. We were going out into the fields and seeing dead sheep and new born lambs When we saw Battenberg with his amazing two-tone face it gave us all a lift." Normally a young ram lamb would be being fattened up for market - but Battenberg's future is not so black and white. Marianne said: "He's too special for that - we are hoping someone will have him as a pet."