by Johnathon Knutsen, AgWeek
Editor’s Note: One of Keith Sistad’s quadruplet calves died after this article was written and posted online. Sistad isn’t sure what happened to the calf. “It’s hard to lose one, especially when they were all doing so well,” he said.
If there were a lottery for cattle producers, Keith Sistad just won it.
One of the Red Angus beef cows on his ranch near Fosston, Minn., gave birth to four calves, all of which are healthy.
“I’ve never heard of quads before in cattle,” Sistad said. “And to have all the calves doing well makes it so much better.”
Quadruplets in beef cattle are extremely rare, although it’s difficult to come up with a hard number. One study found that about one in 665,000 dairy cows have quads and that beef cattle are less likely than dairy cattle to have multiple births, said Doug Landblom, animal scientist with the North Dakota State University Extension Service in Dickinson, N.D. His main focus is on beef cattle.
To read the remainder of this article and SEE PICTURES of the calves, CLICK HERE.
Source: AgWeek
Posted by Haylie Shipp
