Triplets

[coachg]

Momma that raised the twins 2 years ago has now had triplets . One dead , one weak, and one looks good so far . Got them in the garage under heat lamps and got colostrum on the way . Just in case they didn't get any . Cold , raw day and I've had surgery this week and am useless to help . All I can do is coach my son , daughter and son in law . Never fails

 

[coachg]

Pics not great

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Wow! Never knew anyone that had a cow with triplets. She is a fertile myrtle!!
Did she have them on her own?

 

[coachg]

Wow! Never knew anyone that had a cow with triplets. She is a fertile myrtle!!
Did she have them on her own?

Yes , son was putting out hay cause I'm home bound. Saw a small calf trying to nurse a bigger calf . He called and described what calves he was seeing and I told him to find ole sad momma I call her . Cow has a long face and looks sad . He found her with the dead calf and the weak one . Strange but she looks like she doesn't have milk . Normally she looks like a Holstein . Maybe cause she calved early ? I think this dang drought has affected our cows .

 

[wbvs58]

Wow, that's one way to boost your calving percentage.

Ken

 

[Travlr]

Momma that raised the twins 2 years ago has now had triplets . One dead , one weak, and one looks good so far . Got them in the garage under heat lamps and got colostrum on the way . Just in case they didn't get any . Cold , raw day and I've had surgery this week and am useless to help . All I can do is coach my son , daughter and son in law . Never fails

Amazing you got two alive, IMO. Hope they both make it and do well.

 

[Warren Allison]

Yes , son was putting out hay cause I'm home bound. Saw a small calf trying to nurse a bigger calf . He called and described what calves he was seeing and I told him to find ole sad momma I call her . Cow has a long face and looks sad . He found her with the dead calf and the weak one . Strange but she looks like she doesn't have milk . Normally she looks like a Holstein . Maybe cause she calved early ? I think this dang drought has affected our cows .

Would she not...or could she not...nurse the healthy calf?

 

[coachg]

Wow, that's one way to boost your calving percentage.

Ken

Not if you can't save them . I like live ones !

 

[coachg]

Would she not...or could she not...nurse the healthy calf?

I think it probably got milk because it was up going. But it was all the way across the pasture from where she was bedded down .

 

[Travlr]

Not if you can't save them . I like live ones !

I've had enough experiences with twins to know they too often run in families, including in cows. And only about half the twins I've had survived and those that did were more trouble.

 

[coachg]

I've had enough experiences with twins to know they too often run in families, including in cows. And only about half the twins I've had survived and those that did were more trouble.

I've raised 2 sets out of 6-8 I guess . I'm not a fan

 

[coachg]

I hope it's not my Gizmo bull . Twins we lost 2 weeks ago and the triplets are all out of him

 

[Travlr]

I hope it's not my Gizmo bull . Twins we lost 2 weeks ago and the triplets are all out of him

Usually the cow. Have you been keeping replacements from cows that twin? Are the two cows related?

 

[coachg]

No we don't keep twin heifers . Cows are not related . Maybe all that good mineral I feed and good herd health ?

 

[coachg]

Got a full round of colostrum/ electrolytes down the lively one and about a third down the weaker calf . We'll do again at bed time . I go back to the doctor in the morning . Can you believe a doctor sees patients on Saturdays ? If cow looks like she has milk we probably will give her the one back .

 

[coachg]

Not just triplets but all bulls . She weaned about 1300 lbs with her twins 2 years ago . Hopefully we can save these 2 . Got more down the weak calf .

 

[coachg]

Both had a bowel movement, so their digestive system is working. Weak calf is now holding its head up . More encouraging.

 

[Mark Reynolds]

Momma that raised the twins 2 years ago has now had triplets . One dead , one weak, and one looks good so far . Got them in the garage under heat lamps and got colostrum on the way . Just in case they didn't get any . Cold , raw day and I've had surgery this week and am useless to help . All I can do is coach my son , daughter and son in law . Never fails

This is the 2nd case of triplets in cattle that I have heard of the actual story. I've heard of others with typically tragic results. The first case, all 3 survived. Wouldn't have been the case except the producers wife happened to be a nurse who happened to have two colleges visiting at the time of the birth. Between the 3 nurses, they were able to save all 3 calves. I'm glad you have been able to save two of the calves so far.

As for the cow that is having multiples per birth, I don't know if having an overly productive cow like that is a good thing or if she should be on the way to the sale barn. On the surface, producing 'two calves for the price of one', or in this case two and then three, seems to be a good thing. But multiples during a birth presents challenges for an animal that is designed to have singles. You just experienced some of those challenges with your triplets. Free martins are another concern if you are trying to retain heifers, but being a free martin has no effect at the sale barn when the animal is destined to be hamburger either.

Someone mentioned that multiples run in families. That would be on the cow's lineage, not the bull. Does in people too. I went to school with a family that had 7 children......3 sets of twins and one 'only' child. I kinda felt sorry for the only child.

 

[Eddy]

Sorry to hear. Maybe the 2 will survive. My triplets turned 4 months old on Christmas. They are all good and eating hay and starter grain. I stiil have the bull calf in my back yard. Still bottle 2 times a day. Front legs are straight and strong. Too cold to put him to pasture right now. No hurry. Hope you heal well too.

 

[jltrent]

Had a cow that had triplets last year, all bulls. The last one was coming backwards and by the time I got it out it was dead. I didn't do mouth to mouth but used just about every CPR/1st AID, AED trick I learned from my days as a trainer to no avail. Two survived, the mother was a good milker, and they did well.