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lamb birth
Rachael Caton was supposed to be checking into a video chat with a group of eight school friends who currently live all over the world.
But there is no time to rest with lambing season in full swing at Otterburn Lodge. Around 30 or 40 lambs giving birth on the farm each day, she ended up combining the call with her farming duties.
“I'm in the lambing shed 24 hours a day, more less," Caton told the PA news agency.
“I thought it would be a shame to miss out on talking to the guys, so I thought 'we've got WiFi in the lambing shed, I'll do it from here'."
For the rest of the friends on the call, the backdrop provided an unusual soundtrack for their catch-up call.
“For the whole call whoever was speaking, you could just hear sheep," Fiona Kyle told PA.
Guess they didn't know about the mute option.
When Caton told her friends the lamb went into labor she angled her phone so everyone could see.
“She was trying to show us while the lamb was halfway out," Kyle said. “We all got a little look, then everybody else was talking for a bit and suddenly she said 'the lamb's out!' – and there it was."
“Everyone from all round the world was watching with bated breath and then there it was."
Although an everyday occurrence for Caton, she was happy to share the moment.
“It was quite exciting," she said. “They could literally see her having the lamb. It was nice."
Kyle suggested naming the lamb "Zoom" after the app they were using during the birth.
“Rachael loved it, so Zoom it was," she said.
Zoom is happy and healthy, and looks set for a long and happy life on the farm.
“Normally we would sell our female lambs for breeding to other farmers, but because the kids have taken a shine to her I think she might be staying here," Caton said.