Calf Triplets

This picture appears to originate in France and is marked on the back "Cine Foto Paris".

A tethered white spotted cow is shown with three offspring.

Even now triplet calves are very rare and worth a local news story.Cows are biologically set up to produce twins but generally have only one calf at a time.

Triplets are slightly more common with older cows and in family lines with a previous record of producing triplets.

Some farmers are selecting for triplet calving to increase the incidence. However, calves from twin or triple pregnancies are less likely to survive, and females with male sibling in utero may be infertile. So it is not a win/win situation.

The picture below, dating from 1922, shows a cow dubbed "Dairy Maid" with her triplets.

• Nebraska, USA (2010)
• Indiana, USA (2011)
• Iowa, USA (2011)
• Missouri, USA (2011)
• New York, USA (2011)