Charolais beats 105,000/1 odds to give birth to triplets

‘Lucky’ Charolais beats 105,000/1 odds to give birth to healthy triplets


Anton McNulty

For a cow to have twins is unusual but for one to give birth to triplets is almost unheard of, so image the surprise which greeted Clogher farmer, Vincent Mahon when his six-year-old charolais gave birth to three healthy calves.
“I have a lucky cow,” chuckled Vincent when he explained the story to local photographer Tommy Eibrand. Vincent, from Newtown, Clogher, Claremorris was surprised and delighted when he realised his Charolais cow was going to have triplets. It was not until the cow had given birth to the first two calves that Vincent realised that a third was on the way.
Assisted by his daughter, Laura Igoe, the third calf was born without complications and was able to join its mother and two siblings.
“I suspected the cow could be with twins says Vincent, she was very thin, but I could not imagine three. It is very rare for a cow to have triplets. I have never heard about it in this area,” he explained.
Cows do not normally have litters of calves and the chances of having triplets are 105,000 to one, and cows giving birth to triplets without assistance has been described as a ‘statistical miracle’.
The triplets, two bullocks and one heifer are healthy and strong and began suckling straight away, and the six-year-old Charolais is also doing well.
The proud father of the three does not have far to go to admire his handy work as it is Vincent’s own Charolais Bull.
Vincent has another cow who soon will be calving and he explained that she will have to act as a foster mother for one of the calves. ‘That’s unless she decides to have triplets too’ he quipped.