A red and white Holstein Friesian cow in Co Meath delivered three “hardy” Hereford heifer calves on Thursday morning, according to her owner Enda Smyth.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Enda, who farms at Farnaglough, Oldcastle, Co Meath, said that while the cow was scanned in calf, they “didn’t expect it at all”.

The eighth calver, 10-year-old cow had twins two years ago, but hadn’t been scanned for twins this year, let alone triplets.

However, Enda said: “She’s a big cow, a fair cow. She was heavy and we were watching her a little bit closer than ever. We’ve had lots of twins but never three.”

Birth

The three heifer calves, sired by a Hereford stock bull, were born in the early hours on Thursday morning. Enda arrived to find the first two born and “getting going” and went on then to pull the third, which came backwards.

He said that while the calves are all very similar, one is slightly stronger than the other two.

The Meath dairy farmer said the first of the two triplets sucked themselves and a stomach tube of beastings was given to the third, which then went on to suck herself later on Thursday.

The prolific cow is “doing well”, according to Enda who said “you wouldn’t think she popped out three calves at all."

Family affair

The Smyth 135-cow winter milking dairy farm is a family affair, with farm manager Dermot Sheridan also heavily involved.

Enda and his wife Georgie have three children, Eoin (13), Lucy (8) and Zoe (6) and each will be given one of the triplet heifers, who will all stay on the farm.

“We rear our Friesian heifers and the kids keep a few others themselves each year. We have six left to calve and hope to have them finished next week. That’ll be it then until 1 October,” Enda said.

He said the triplets are keeping well and that their mother was milked on Thursday.