A Seagahan farmer has spoken of his utter shock following the delivery of rare triplet calves – the odds of which are an estimated one in 100,000.
The triplets affectionately named Daisy, Maisy and Crazy were born on Glenview Cottage Farm on the outskirts of Armagh city by a Simmental Limousin cross heifer.
Speaking to Armagh I, proud farmer Kyle McCall, said he had been semi-expecting a multiple birth but “nearly swallowed his own tongue” when he realised his labouring heifer was about to birth a third.
He explained: “Every year I scan my cows but this year I’ve been so busy we didn’t get them scanned at the right time and we missed that vital period. So now we are calving blind as I call it. It was a complete surprise.
“About two weeks ago I thought maybe she was carrying twins. She was quite heavy but in really good condition.
“I started to feed her on a ration thinking if she was going to have twins she might need a wee bit more feeding.
“But I was nervous at that because I could have just been feeding one really big calf and end up with a caesarean section to get it out.
“A lot of farmers are complaining about really big calves this spring and calves born 100 kilos and I thought I could be making big trouble for myself!
“But I went on ahead and fed her this ration anyway and she was just getting heavier and heavier and heavier.”
On Tuesday evening February 11, the heifer went into labour and Kyle knew immediately that it was more than just one big calf!
Kyle – who delivered the calves himself – explained: “There were four feet sticking out at one time and no heads. It was a complicated birth and it took a while but I got there.
“I could calve 160 cows a year, I’m well practiced at it this now over the last 30 odd years.
“It took about an hour and a half but I knew what I was doing. It was just complicated and there was very little room because she pushed the two calves into the canal together.”
At approximately 2am on the Wednesday morning two of the calves had been delivered.
Noticing a little extra blood, Kyle performed a routine examination of the heifer’s birth canal, checking for a tear.
“Sometimes they can get a tear, so put my hand in after to feel for it.
“You put your hand in say six inches and feel for a tear and then go another six and and you keep going.
“But when I nearly had my whole arm in the whole length I hit a foot and I nearly swallowed my own tongue in shock!”
Two of the calves were heifers, now called Daisy and Maisy. The third was a bull calf and he has been named Crazy… for good reason.
Joked Kyle: “The wee bull is a nut job! He’s skipping about the house, playing and he would hit you a poke with his head – he’s a playful wee boy.
“All three are really, lovely, tight wee bucks and so playful for multiple births – they are sometimes a bit delicate but these three are so fit and tight of themselves.”
The doting farmer stayed with the new mother and three babies until daylight for fear that she might roll over onto one, not being quite prepared to handle all three.
However, he’s delighted to say that they are feeding well and mum is coping without issue.
For a farmer who had previously been unlucky with a multiple birth, he is extremely appreciative of how well this birth has gone.
“I had a cow with multiple birth years ago and they were all born dead. I was raging, I was young that time and that was actually four calves.
“I said at the time I would never get that again in my life, but I’ve got triplets now and I might never get that again.”
