Triplets

[smartin0022]

Haven't been on in awhile but had Triplets Sunday, 7 days ago, lucky I found them all. Had tagged the twin bulls went to stockyards with a big bull that I had occupying the barn pen. Came back home and momma was with a small calf. Grabbed calf and headed to barn then realized it didn't have an eartag. About halfway to barn on fourwheeler, momma turned around and headed back out to the back field. Started checking calf ears for a hole, maybe the tag fell out. No hole in ear, weird. So I put the calf in barn and head back out to pasture. Found bull calf #19( pre tagged before stockyards trip) with momma head back to barn and momma still wants to turn around around for pasture but we coax her into barn with the calf walking backwards for bait. Lock up the no tag calf, #19 and momma get a flashlight and start checking calf without tags ears again, no hole somethings weird here. Then check for sex and we'll it's a heifer? Back out to pasture me and the neighbor go to look for bull calf #18. Both of us thoroughly confused at this point never known anyone who had Triplets. Well 4 hrs of searching later can't find the calf anywhere even with a thermal scope and now it's dark and late. Back to the barn to check calf ear again cause things aren't adding up. Maybe we missed something. Still no hole in the ear and it's after 11 pm. Gotta work tomorrow but 1 more trip to the pasture to look with thermal maybe we just overlooked him. After another trip all the way around Still no calf and I can clearly see the cat following me around, my other cows and all of their calves. Fast-forward to the next day while I'm at work, I call neighbor and he says he's gonna look some more in daylight. About 10 am get a phone call he has found calf #18 alive and hauled to barn calf went right to momma and nursed. I got another tag when I went home Monday tagged the heifer #17, 18, 19 now all is well. Couple of early morning with bottles of colostrum and checking everything out.Thursday cow still hadn't cleaned even with shot of lute. Vet comes out, cleans cow, gives estrumate, antibiotics and maybe 1 more shot I'll have to look back at the bill. Vet checks all calves, all good. Mother has enough milk so far. Vet told us we definitely did the right thing calling because she would have died from not being cleaned. Been a long week but they're all alive and nursing. Blessed to have them all alive. Wish this heifer didn't have a very high probability of being a freemartin I've waited 6 years for a heifer out of this cows, she's given me all bulls up until now(my favorite cow and would love a replacement). Thought I'd share if anyone else ever runs into these circumstances it might be helpful. So far, so good...

 

[TCRanch]

Congrats! I'm not a fan of twins and triplets would be overload but looks like mama has accepted all of them. Personally, I'd keep them in the barn together for a while. Mainly to see is she decides to ditch one but also because she'll need extra groceries.

Your vet can check out the heifer and run blood tests to determine if she's in the small percentage that isn't a freemartin.

 

[smartin0022]

Congrats! I'm not a fan of twins and triplets would be overload but looks like mama has accepted all of them. Personally, I'd keep them in the barn together for a while. Mainly to see is she decides to ditch one but also because she'll need extra groceries.

Your vet can check out the heifer and run blood tests to determine if she's in the small percentage that isn't a freemartin.

Lil bit of scours checking them this evening. Duramate and resorb given. She is definitely getting extra groceries. I think in a week or so I'll split the heifer off and bottle feed it. Not sure exactly what to as this is an entirely new experience for me. Should I split a calf off in a week. Does the week change anything in the gut for the calf? I'm open to suggestions. Also, I do plan to do a blood test on the calf. She is registerable if she happened to not be a freemartin. We have already defied the odds. So here is to hope! Maybe I'll call her Hope... the picture of calves with my son was today. The other picture by bunk was before the vet came out to clean but mostly just to show her milk capacity.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Wow - 2 members that had triplets. That's pretty amazing. Congratulations!

 

[mwj]

What breed are they? They look good sized for triplets.

 

[smartin0022]

What breed are they? They look good sized for triplets.

They are crossbreed out of a registered angus Atlantis bull and a registered red poll cow. The calves look a Lil bigger in photos they are about 50 lbs. I weighed the heifer at 49 lbs 1 bull calf 19 is slightly larger.

 

[Travlr]

Lil bit of scours checking them this evening. Duramate and resorb given. She is definitely getting extra groceries. I think in a week or so I'll split the heifer off and bottle feed it. Not sure exactly what to as this is an entirely new experience for me. Should I split a calf off in a week. Does the week change anything in the gut for the calf? I'm open to suggestions. Also, I do plan to do a blood test on the calf. She is registerable if she happened to not be a freemartin. We have already defied the odds. So here is to hope! Maybe I'll call her Hope... the picture of calves with my son was today. The other picture by bunk was before the vet came out to clean but mostly just to show her milk capacity.

Ha, I saw the sun shining on it and wondered if it was a Galloway... Pretty decent sized calves considering they shared space...

 

[smartin0022]

Ha, I saw the sun shining on it and wondered if it was a Galloway... Pretty decent sized calves considering they shared space...

I agree. I wish I had taken a picture of her b4 calving. She was about as wide as she is long. I had a good idea she was gonna have twins due to her size. But I had no idea she would have had Triplets. This picture was 3 weeks b4 calving. Unfortunately it doesn't show her from the front or back. She really swelled up.

 

[farmerjan]

I would leave the calves with the cow and supplement one or 2 if they want it... It will help them to grow better on real milk from the cow, keep their immune system working better, teach them to be "cows" better.... and it will help to stimulate the cow to make more milk up to her capacity. If you supplement with a bottle but leave them with the cow, then they will leave the bottle and go after the cow even more aggressively since they got a good taste and will want more.
Do you have a fairly "smaller" lot of 1-3 acres where you can keep a good check on them but let them grow and run and be calves with the momma, they will learn to come to you for some extra groceries, but they will also learn to start picking at grain and hay sooner too which will help their rumen to start to develop, and get them eating faster...

When I graft calves on a nurse cow, I keep them separate with her for a couple weeks so they can bond good, and then when they go out with other cows, they are already knowing who feeds them and will start "copy-catting" what the cow does and learn to eat faster. Granted the nurse cow will be doing all the milk feeding, but I have at times supplemented calves on cows and they will drink the bottle, then go to the cow for more and that helps to stimulate her to make more and let the milk down better.

I would only supplement with one bottle a day so they want to keep after the cow to nurse... Maybe 1/2 twice a day? .....unless you see that one is definitely not getting enough. Then you can make a decision to maybe do something different.

Congrats on the triplets and getting them all up and going.

 

[smartin0022]

I would leave the calves with the cow and supplement one or 2 if they want it... It will help them to grow better on real milk from the cow, keep their immune system working better, teach them to be "cows" better.... and it will help to stimulate the cow to make more milk up to her capacity. If you supplement with a bottle but leave them with the cow, then they will leave the bottle and go after the cow even more aggressively since they got a good taste and will want more.
Do you have a fairly "smaller" lot of 1-3 acres where you can keep a good check on them but let them grow and run and be calves with the momma, they will learn to come to you for some extra groceries, but they will also learn to start picking at grain and hay sooner too which will help their rumen to start to develop, and get them eating faster...

When I graft calves on a nurse cow, I keep them separate with her for a couple weeks so they can bond good, and then when they go out with other cows, they are already knowing who feeds them and will start "copy-catting" what the cow does and learn to eat faster. Granted the nurse cow will be doing all the milk feeding, but I have at times supplemented calves on cows and they will drink the bottle, then go to the cow for more and that helps to stimulate her to make more and let the milk down better.

I would only supplement with one bottle a day so they want to keep after the cow to nurse... Maybe 1/2 twice a day? .....unless you see that one is definitely not getting enough. Then you can make a decision to maybe do something different.

Congrats on the triplets and getting them all up and going.

I do have 1 smaller pen about an acre unfortunately its been so wet and muddy its basically a mess. My bull pen is currently wrecked to. Very wet the last month and a half. I have been trying to supplement some they don't take much. You're definitely right they run to momma and nurse most times aggressively. I wish this ground would freeze up and just stay that way till spring. I really wasn't prepped for taking a cow and splitting off from the herd.
I will keep trying to supplement with a bottle. The resorb I used tonight was the most any of them have taken from a bottle. I got about a pint in #18 and 1/2 pint in #17. #19 hates the bottle.
Thanks were trying to do the right thing. Guess I'll be changing alot of bedding out and getting more straw for the next little while. The barn pen is 30'-15' I cut that down a Lil with a corral panel so the calves have a place to go where momma can't get to them if they want to bed down they seem to like to go in that part and lay down.

 

[farmerjan]

Sounds like you are doing fine....

 

[MurraysMutts]

What a good mama!!
I got a hard time believing she will make enough milk for 3 unfortunately. I'd love to be wrong tho!

Like @farmerjan has said before, just because she has a big bag doesn't necessarily mean she's making oodles and gobs of milk.

Personally I'd just pull my favorite and bottle one of em, unless I was SURE she makes enough milk. Probly the heifer, especially if she ain't a freemartin. Bottle fed mama cows are most always a joy to work with except sorting time.


Gonna watch this thread. Hope to see many many updates from you triplet folks!

 

[mwj]

Are red polls still multipurpose like the used to be? We had some close to us in the sixties that were very milky.As of today I can not think of any within driving distance.

 

[coachg]

My two survivors are doing well . Bull calf eats with mom when I feed her . Heifer has never offered to eat feed .

 

[coachg]

I like what farmerjan said . I'd leave all 3 with mom and supplement if needed with bottle . Offer starter feed as soon as they will eat it .

 

[Travlr]

And I'd sell them right now. Leave the biggest one with the cow and sell as a pair, and sell the others as bottle calves.

One, I don't want cows that have multiples, and two, I don't have the time to spend on the extra care.

 

[MurraysMutts]

And I'd sell them right now. Leave the biggest one with the cow and sell as a pair, and sell the others as bottle calves.

One, I don't want cows that have multiples, and two, I don't have the time to spend on the extra care.

There is 1500 dollars in calves right there!

 

[coachg]

There is 1500 dollars in calves right there!

In 5-6 months there could be $3000

 

[smartin0022]

Are red polls still multipurpose like the used to be? We had some close to us in the sixties that were very milky.As of today I can not think of any within driving distance.

I have sold the cows who milked to much and or had bad teats. Mostly this family line is more beef oriented. I think the milking red polls are gone in the US. I've never worked a more gentle cow they are the best behaved cattle I have ever had the pleasure to be around.

 

[smartin0022]

And I'd sell them right now. Leave the biggest one with the cow and sell as a pair, and sell the others as bottle calves.

One, I don't want cows that have multiples, and two, I don't have the time to spend on the extra care.

It's been on my mind. I had a guy who was gonna take the heifer calf to the sale barn at first. But, a neighbor changed my mind. He said, " I would keep them if I had them I've farmed my entire life and never known of any triplets first hand." To him he looked at it like a blessing. 1 in 105,000... they're all doing well so far. Scours cleared up. I'm keeping a very close eye on things. Never know what tomorrow will bring they might all go down the rd.