OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Yes, triplets, all heifers. Watched calving since the start, but all were in wrong possitions and dead
Calving 2024
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OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Update: 57, 66 and 81,5lbs. No wonder why the cow looked big
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Holy smokes. What a dang mess!
Sorry for your loss on those. Is this the first time for triplets/twins etc?
Cow could've easily dies with that mess had u not been there. Goodness. My words are struggling to come out.
Sorry for your loss on those. Is this the first time for triplets/twins etc?
Cow could've easily dies with that mess had u not been there. Goodness. My words are struggling to come out.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
The first ever triplets for us, first not a single calf for her, but her dam had twins once.
The first and biggest calf was almost upside down and one leg was bent, next calf was fully breach and the last was just backward.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
Amazing. This is the 3rd person that had triplets this year. Wow
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Must have been something in the air...
Will see what the total final result will be after all calvings, but I'm sensing a slight % increase in twins occurence. We usually had only one, sometimes none twins a year, but had two pairs last year and already one pair of twins and one set of triplets, while we still have more than two thirds to calve.
Travlr
Well-known member
I think it's because people are saving twins and cows that twin instead of getting rid of them like in the past.
coachg
Well-known member
Hate that for you ! We found our triplets after mom has delivered them . Not sure if the one was dead at birth or the black headed buzzards killed it while mom was taking care of the 3 rd one .
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
The first set of twins this year came from a cow, which dam never had twins in her whole life, her granddam as well. The cow herself calved for the 5th or 6th time and that was the first ever set of twins for her aswell. Maybe something from the sire's side had twins, you never know. Or maybe just had too good of nutrition before breeding time. Had seen quite many twins this year from other farmers. We have left two cows from twins. None had twins yet and both are at 6-8 years age. We know which lines had twins appear, but for the past couple years had some emerging from those lines, which were twins free from what I know. Same for several other people. Know some, which never had twins in their whole farming time, but got a set in the past couple years.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
#3 is in for the night. She is abit uncomfortable, so should have her calf by the end of the day (currently it's 01:12am here).
Travlr
Well-known member
Well it doesn't happen all the time, but it runs in families. And if people keep on keeping them it stands to reason that it's gonna increase the frequency. Maybe it's something in the air... (shrug)
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Heifer calf. Cow had bull calf only once and it was last year. 4 heifers before that.
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
A keeper!
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
LF - I agree with you. I do NOT see a higher incidence of twins out of twins. I have ALWAYS kept twin heifers - and have sold twin bull calves - NEVER receiving a comment or complaint that he produced twins. I have had a cow that had lots of twins - all appeared to be identical/split egg.
NUTRITION is the number one reason for twins.
Fun fact on split egg/identical twins. If they have white on them (like white spots or face or bellie) - they will have identical number of square inches of white area - but may not be in the same places. A geneticist from Cornell told me that.
NUTRITION is the number one reason for twins.
Fun fact on split egg/identical twins. If they have white on them (like white spots or face or bellie) - they will have identical number of square inches of white area - but may not be in the same places. A geneticist from Cornell told me that.
Travlr
Well-known member
You can find plenty of articles from good agricultural study sources that support the fact that twins occur for many reasons... including genetically transmitted traits.
And I have experience too. I had a cow that twinned five times out of six pregnancies and her heifers that survived had twins as well.
I'm not saying that the cause is ALWAYS genetic... but if there IS a genetic reason and it gets passed on by saving heifers with that genetic trait, it stands to reason that the incidences of twinning will increase in a population.
Yeah, they are called estrogenic toxins.
farmerjan
Well-known member
So sorry about losing the set of triplets... just from the perspective of hoping at least one had lived for the cow's being able to raise a calf...
Logan52
Well-known member
For what it is worth, every set of twins I have ever had has come from a line of cows that had twined before. Other lines never twined over many generations.
Once I had a vet down to deliver a calf out of a 1st calf heifer. After the calf was out, I told him he better go back in and check for another, for this line produces twins. Sure enough, there was a twin still in there. First one was dark buckskin, the second light gray, a Red Poll cow bred to a Charolais.
Once I had a vet down to deliver a calf out of a 1st calf heifer. After the calf was out, I told him he better go back in and check for another, for this line produces twins. Sure enough, there was a twin still in there. First one was dark buckskin, the second light gray, a Red Poll cow bred to a Charolais.
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
OP
OP
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
This one almost gave me a heart attack several times. Always sleeps like that with all limbs extended... In this shot if there was now hay her head would be further as well. Had to jump over the fence once to check if she is okay... 
Now just watch her for abit to see if she's breathing ...
Now just watch her for abit to see if she's breathing ...
