Defying the odds - Cow gives birth to triplets

A cow has given birth to triplets, defying one in 100,000 odds.  

Monmouthshire based farmers, Nicole and Caerwyn Tranter were shocked to find their British Blue cross cow had given birth to three healthy calves.  

The three heifer calves are sired by a locally bred pedigree Limousin bull, Whiskey Rufus, and were born on December, 30, 2023.

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This was the only the second time calving for the mother, Rhianna, a British Blue cross Friesian. She is one of their 23-head suckler cow herd, which they source from a local dairy farm.   

The Tranter family are pleased the calves are a good size and doing well. They have named them Roxanne, Raquel and Rose.  

Nicole Tranter said: "The cow was not scanned to have triplets, and it is a rare sight on a beef farm, so it was quite a surprise to see three calves born, especially being three heifers.

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"We are going to try and keep the three on the cow for as long as we can, but have an older cow, Doris, calving in a couple of weeks that could easily feed two if needed." 

The family are based near Raglan and has been farming for 10 years with their two sons. They run a flock of crossbred ewes alongside the suckler herd on their 45-hectare (110-acre) tenanted farm.