Quadruplet Calves Born in California
Quadruplet calves are 1-in-180-million
By Anna Shcherbakova
NEED TO KNOW
- Cow gives birth to rare quadruplet female calves in California
- The four calves are two sets of twins -- identical and fraternal
- The odds for healthy all-girl bovine quadruplets are 1 in 180 million
(HLN)
What are the odds of all-girl quadruplet calves being born and actually
surviving the birth? That would be 1 in 179.2 million, according to HLN
affiliate KRCR. And on a California dairy farm, the stars aligned and
mama cow gave birth to four healthy baby cows.
The
heifer calves were born on December 6 in Orland, California, and a
local veterinarian confirmed they are indeed quadruplets. KRCR reports
that Dr. Michael Karle ran DNA tests using the calves’ hair and learned
that two of them are identical twins, while the other two are fraternal.
Dairy
farmer John Zuppan told the Chico Enterprise Record that in his 69
years on the job, this is a first. Karle first thought the cow was only
having one pair of twins, which is rare enough. He said twins are born
about 1 percent of the time. So he was especially stunned to see her
give birth to quadruplets.
"I
couldn't believe my eyes. I just kept looking and looking and looking. I
finally came to the conclusion there were four new babies from one
cow," Karle told HLN affiliate KFSN.
Karle
says each Holstein calf weighed a little less than usual at birth --
only 60-65 pounds instead of the common 85 pounds -- but that they are
otherwise in good physical shape.
