Reuben Owen faces heartbreak as girlfriend forced to intervene on the farm

Channel 5's Life In The Dales took an unexpected turn on Tuesday, July 8, as viewers were captivated by a gutwrenching yet tense moment involving Reuben Owen, 21, and his girlfriend, Jessica Ellwood, 21. The couple were diligently carrying out their daily farming duties in the scenic Yorkshire landscape, when they stumbled upon a tiny newborn lamb in dire straits, who required immediate attention.

Jess's maternal instincts kicked in as she observed the frail creature struggling to find nourishment. With concern etched on her face, she turned to Reuben and pointed out, "I don't think that yow is letting that lamb suck; she keeps turning away whenever he's trying to feed". Reuben, visibly anxious about the situation, quickly agreed, and together they approached the vulnerable little lamb, who was covered in meconium. This yellowish substance, a byproduct of the lamb's time in the uterus, typically signals that the mother ewe should have cleaned the newborn to ensure its well-being.

Jess glanced over at the tiny, shivering lamb and suggested: "Let's head over and check if he's got any milk in him. If he doesn't, we'll have to bring him inside."

As they approached the lamb, the alarmed flock of sheep bolted away. The shepherdess, noticing the chaos around her, sighed: "This is the downside of lambing season outdoors. If we were in a shed, managing this situation would be so much easier."

She knelt to examine the newborn. It was clear that the little lamb, no more than an hour old, had yet to suckle.

Recognising that the clock was ticking and that without their intervention, the lamb might not survive the next few hours, Jess quickly called for their dog, Moss to herd the sheep into the shed. Jess knew exactly how to handle the situation, as she grew up watching her dad, who was also a shepherd.

Jess shared: "He needs the colostrum; if he doesn't get it, it can be life-threatening."

The young couple breathed a heavy sigh of relief as the lamb thankfully latched onto its mother and received the food it desperately needed.

Reuben remarked: "Well, that's another life saved. Well done, darling! He probably wouldn't have survived if he had been left alone."

Reuben, who rose to fame alongside his family on Our Yorkshire Farm, and Jessica have been an item for some time, often sharing their life updates with followers on social media. However, it is only in recent months that she has been on screen with the young farmer as their relationship is going from strength to strength.

Reuben Owen: Life in the Dales airs on Tuesdays at 8pm on Channel 5.