Udder joy as rare triplets born in Moray
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Delight has been brought to a Moray farm in the shape of these very rare triplets.
The odds of a cow giving birth to three calves at once could be as high 100,000 to one.
Geoff Anderson has been a cattleman for nearly 45 years, the last 35 years at Pitgaveny near Lossiemouth, and in all that time he’s only ever witnessed one set of triplets.
Sadly in that case, only one calf survived. By complete contrast, these three newborns are all thriving.
Geoff said: “It’s been a lovely surprise. The mum was so big I suspected she might have twins, but I never thought it would be triplets.
“Everything happened so quickly. I went off for an hour to look after another pregnant cow, then came back to the shed to find three newborn calves.
“The mum was on the ground licking one of them, but the other two were already standing up.
“At first I couldn’t believe it. I was looking round to see whether another cow had also given birth.”
The triplets – one girl and two boys – are now happily out in a field near Lossiemouth with their mum.
Geoff said: “So far the mum is managing to produce enough milk to feed all three.
“But calves rely on their mothers for seven or eight months, by which time they’ll be really big.
“It’s possible we might have to take one away from her if it gets to the point where she can no longer cope, but I don’t know. It’s case of wait and see.”
The calves are Simmentals, a Swiss breed known for their fertility. Their dad is a pedigree bull by the name of Isla Vale Kristoff, who was bought at auction for 14,000 guineas (£14,700).
Geoff said: “That’s a lot of money, but he’s paying us back.”
Crinan Dunbar, who owns Pitgaveny Farm, said: “Cows occasionally have twins, but triplets are really rare.
“We worked out how many Geoff has reared over the years at the farm, and the odds of it happening could be as high as 100,000 to one.”
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