Twin Calves

[JESSE1]

This is only the second time in 30 years of raising cattle that we have had a cow give birth to twins. The mother is an Angus/Limosine cross and the sire is Black Angus. I'm keeping the cow confined in a small pasture so she can't leave a calf behind and forget about it. The twins are a bull and heifer. The heifer is probably sterile and is known as a freemartin. Anyway, it's a fairly rare accurance.

 

[JESSE1]

Another

 

[JESSE1]

This is their sire.

 

[JimR]

The little ones are so cute. Dad doesn't look so freindly.

 

[JESSE1]

He's actually a very calm natured bull. He's a young bull, only turned three years and this is his first calf crop. I don't take a chance with any bull, they can hurt you without even trying. He's just waiting for his feed. I take him off the cows when they start calving. Around the first of December I'll turn him back out to pasture. By doing this, my cows will calve in September and October.

 

[Charolais]

Twins, that's great. Mama looks like she can feed them both too. Very good looking stock you have there.

I have one cow that has presented twins 4 times. Last time she had Siamese twins. They were joined at the rear. Had to pull them. Didn't know she had two in her till we got the first calf just about out and it wouldn't move any further. Slid that calf back a little and reached inside to find what the problem was. When I felt four more legs and two were turned the other direction I knew that this was going to be fun (not).

Took a little time of twisting and turning and pulling with the calf puller and got them both out. They were both dead. Had 8 legs,two bodies, two heads and no tails. They were inline and that's the only good part about that set. I saw a neighbor with a set joined at the shoulders. Had to get the vet for that one.

 

[ns_in_tex]

Maybe it's something in the grass. Ha

I may live within 20 miles of you and several years ago, we had 2 sets of twins one year & one set the next year, by one of the same cows.

Thought I should throw this out, in case someone needs it.

I remember, on one set, the cow disowned one of the calves. I went to the feed store to get a bottle to feed it and a visiting clerk on duty that day, told me to put the cow in the chute. Be ready to catch some urine which they nearly always do when excited. Put it on the calf she disowned & she will likely take it back.

It worked for me.

 

[JESSE1]

This was a surprise! A second set of twins! Born early December, the mother was a half-sister of the other cow. This time it's twin bulls.

 

[JESSE1]

One more.

 

[QRTRHRS]

This story may interest you. Here in Pennsylvania, we have a weekly publication called the Lancaster Farming. The Dec. 24th issue had an article about triplet heifers. The family could not believe it until they checked the rest of there herd finding only one had given birth and two weeks ahead of her due date as well.