Coggeshall Farm Museum welcomed six baby lambs in January,

two sets of twins and two singles. All are Gulf Coast native sheep, a heritage breed of sheep that is considered one of the oldest breeds of sheep in North America.

Prior to World War II, hundreds of thousands of these sheep roamed free-range in the U.S. In the mid-1900s, changes in farming methods caused this type of sheep to fall out of favor, and this breed nearly went out of existence. Now, with the help of farms like Coggeshall that preserve heritage breeds, Gulf Coast Native numbers are increasing, with about 2,000 registered breeding animals now in existence. They are year-round breeders and thrive in both warm and cold temperatures, thus, it's not uncommon for them to birth lambs in the heart of winter.