Finbar Fox’s farm in Co Tyrone has had the rare opportunity to welcome triplet calves to the herd.
Born on Wednesday, 16 April, the farm has welcomed seven new calves from the last three cows to calve, after the farm had two sets of twins in the days prior.
The healthy calves, two heifers and a bull, were initially scanned as twins.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, farm manager Conor Gormley said that this was the first time that he had seen triplets before.
“I knew she was carrying at least two but then the next thing, I stuck my hand in the third time and there was another one but they all presented the proper way,” he said.
“It’s unusual; I’ve never seen or I’ve never had the experience of calving a cow with triplets.”
Chances
According to ICBF data, a cow calves a set of triplets 0.3% of the time, which equates to one in every 333 calvings in Ireland.
Fox’s farm has around 120 suckler cows with a mix of west of Ireland stock.
Although beef prices are higher than usual, Gormley said that he has no plans to sell any of the calves.
“A brought in a Freisin cow there [Monday] to give her a helping hand but I want to keep the three of them together roughly.
“There’s been a few people ringing, looking for calves but I’m not selling them. You couldn’t split and sell triplets; no way.”
Read more
How common are twins or triplets on Irish cattle farms?
Beef factories try to put pressure on trade
Watch: farmer delivers triplet calves on Tipperary farm
Just under 30 left to lamb on Tullamore Farm
Finbar Fox’s farm in Co Tyrone has had the rare opportunity to welcome triplet calves to the herd.
Born on Wednesday, 16 April, the farm has welcomed seven new calves from the last three cows to calve, after the farm had two sets of twins in the days prior.
The healthy calves, two heifers and a bull, were initially scanned as twins.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, farm manager Conor Gormley said that this was the first time that he had seen triplets before.
“I knew she was carrying at least two but then the next thing, I stuck my hand in the third time and there was another one but they all presented the proper way,” he said.
“It’s unusual; I’ve never seen or I’ve never had the experience of calving a cow with triplets.”
Chances
According to ICBF data, a cow calves a set of triplets 0.3% of the time, which equates to one in every 333 calvings in Ireland.
Fox’s farm has around 120 suckler cows with a mix of west of Ireland stock.
Although beef prices are higher than usual, Gormley said that he has no plans to sell any of the calves.
“A brought in a Freisin cow there [Monday] to give her a helping hand but I want to keep the three of them together roughly.
“There’s been a few people ringing, looking for calves but I’m not selling them. You couldn’t split and sell triplets; no way.”
Read more
How common are twins or triplets on Irish cattle farms?
Beef factories try to put pressure on trade
Watch: farmer delivers triplet calves on Tipperary farm
Just under 30 left to lamb on Tullamore Farm
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