Cows defy odds in 2024, give birth to quadruplets

According to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, the odds of a cow having quadruplets are about one in 700,000, and the odds of all four calves being born alive are about one in 11 million.

However, in October, a dairy cow at Calcourt Farms in Wernllwyd, Powys, Wales gave birth to quadruplet calves, a feat described as unheard by farm staff. The recently famous cow gave birth to fit and healthy calves – one bull and three heifers.

“This is a once in a career – probably lifetime – experience,” says Calcourt Farms Fertility Manager Matthew Hicks in an Oct. 23 BBC News article by Catriona Aitken. 

Hicks continues, “We knew she was carrying twins, but when it all happened, I was wondering what was actually going on. It’s unheard of.”

During a recent episode of Wales Breakfast on BBC Radio, Hick notes all of the credit for the calves’ safe delivery went to his calf rearers.

“We had two on the floor, one almost on the floor, and by the time I’d sorted everything out and got some kit on, number four was out,” Hick states.

“I’d say we might have a set of twins once a month – twins do happen – but quads, never,” he reiterates. “I am still in shock of such an unusual occurrence.”

The calves, referred to by numbers rather than names, needed a little more care and were initially fed four times a day to make sure they stayed strong.

“We took the calves as soon as possible after birth, but we let the cow lick them for their own benefit really,” Hicks mentions. “It’s far better we feed the calves and make sure they get the colostrum – the first milk which has all of the antibodies to ensure calves will go on and have a happy healthy life.”

He adds, “They’re just sort of in a gang with the rest of the calves now and doing really, really well.”

According to Hicks, it was an artificial insemination (AI) pregnancy, but he does not believe this affected the outcome.

“The mother is also doing well,” he mentions. “She was given a little more tender loving care and plenty of fluids, but she’s absolutely flying and doesn’t know how famous she is.”

Making history in 2024

Mark and Erin van Haasterts have been ranching in Bjorkdale, Saskatchewan, Canada since 2000 and have around 400 head of commercial cattle. 

On April 19, the couple was in for quite the surprise when a very confused, eight-year-old Charolais/Simmental cross cow named “Somebody” who never had twins before gave birth to quads, unassisted.

“I guess she was saving them up,” Erin states. “I was out checking cattle when I noticed Somebody had just given birth to twins.”

“I went to get the sleigh to move the calves inside the barn, but to my surprise, when I returned she had given birth to a third,” she explains. 

Erin notes she took the three calves to the barn while Mark went to get Somebody, but when he found her, she had yet another calf on the ground. 

“The calves were born three-weeks premature, and it was touch and go for a couple days,” Erin explains. “With additional colostrum and antibodies – along with Somebody being a fantastic mother – they are growing well. We did supplement them all as she was having a hard time keeping up with four little calves.”

“The quadruplets are all females, which is even rarer,” she mentions. “Each of them weighed in around 30 to 40 pounds and have all been named by their oldest daughter – Orangala, Greenelope, Bluethany and Nobody.”

“We assume the proud daddy was a Simmental bull, and the calves were conceived during our regular breeding season not using AI,” she mentions. “The quads have spent the summer with our twin group, and we also turned out four milk cows to help out.”

“The quads are thriving and each weigh about 450 pounds,” she explains. “It’s been such a cool experience to have them.”

Closer to home

Closer to home in Merna, Neb., Veterinarian and Farmer Dr. Jeri Sterner had a five-year-old Red Angus give birth to quadruplets earlier this year.

In a March 29 Tri-State Livestock News article by Ruth Wiechmann, Sterner, who has been raising cattle and practicing veterinary medicine for 40 years, states she’s never actually handled a bovine multiple birth beyond twins until this calving season, when her cow had quadruplets.

“I’ve known of a couple of sets of triplets in the region, but I’ve never been around one,” Sterner tells Wiechmann. “I’ve always thought that some time when I go to untangle a set of twins there’s going to be another one, but it’s never happened until now. It’s amazing.” 

“My cows are just range cows. They don’t get a lot of special treatment. We calve two bunches of cows on cornfields, and they mostly get along out there without a lot of fuss,” Sterner says.

Sterner’s hired man calves one bunch while she keeps an eye on the other, but one night he called her to come look at a calf. 

According to the article, the calf was pretty little but spunky, and with the nighttime temperatures dropping, it would have been too much for the little guy. So, they headed the cow, now known as “Quad Mom,” and her newborn back to the barn.

“The little snot was trotting right behind mommy. He had already suckled and didn’t need help,” Sterner notes. “When we took her back, I reached in and checked and there was another – twins.”

They the second calf, and when Sterner reached back in, there was another one.

As Sterner moved the third calf into better position, she found the fourth calf.

Despite the number of calves delivered, Sterner was amazed by their vigor. She notes all of them got to their feet quickly and tried to suckle her fingers. 

Two bull calves and two heifer calves were born – two weighing 30 pounds each and two weighing 35 pounds each.

“They weren’t tangled up, I just brought one out and the next one floated up. Every time I reached in, there were front feet and a head,” she explains. “I’m sure she would have had them fine, but it was already below freezing when we took her to the corral.”

Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.