WSU Veterinary College helps cow deliver triplet bull calves at chances of
1:700,000
 |
| Senior veterinary students and faculty assisted
in the delivery of triplet bull calves today at Washington State
University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. (l-r) Kelly Sandmeier,
Jess Zelnik, Dr. Martha Delaney, Sara Manthey, and Jillian Saldana .
All photos by Henry Moore Jr. WSU/BCU |
|
CONTACT: Charlie Powell, PIO (509) 335-7073 or
cpowell@vetmed.wsu.edu
MEDIA NOTE: Broadcast quality video of the calves and the
dam at WSU are available from Darin Watkins, PIO, (509) 335-4456 or
dwatkins@vetmed.wsu.edu.
PULLMAN, Wash.—In what is a St. Patrick’s Day statistical miracle, a registered
Red Angus cow has given birth to triplet bull calves at Washington State
University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
Here’s how the numbers work out. From literature dating back to the 1920s,
cattle experts say triplets are rare, about one in every 105,000 births. The
chances they'll all be born alive are about 25 percent. And the odds of triplets
of the same sex are estimated by some to be one out of every 700,000 births in
beef cattle.
All three calves were positioned in a dangerous breach presentation and required
the assistance of three WSU veterinarians and five veterinary students for
delivery. All the calves weighed between 36 and 41 pounds apiece.
The dam and her calves, are resting comfortably and are expected thrive.
“No one person here takes credit for this delivery,” said attending veterinarian
Martha Delaney. “It is always a team effort. We work together.”
“That’s pretty cool,” said owner Josh Dykes of Pasco, Wash., when told he was
the owner of three new bull calves. “We knew when she was due and last
night she didn’t look very good. I thought she might die. I’m glad to
hear she’s alright.”
The cow’s registered name is AKO Misty Jewels 707T and the sire by artificial
insemination was Feddes Big Sky R9. Misty was purchased last fall at a
Montana sale as a bred heifer meaning this was the first time she had been
pregnant.
Misty was brought to WSU veterinary college by Carl Lautenschlager, a partner
and manager of the Dykes Cattle Company located in Endicott, Wash. The
operation runs about 150 head of registered Red Angus cattle.
Over the years Lautenschlager said he’s dealt with numerous sets of twins and
once had another set of triplets that all died; a common outcome with triplets.
In 2006, triplet calves were born naturally not 30 miles away in Potlatch,
Idaho, although they were not all of the same sex. The birth occurred on a
ranch owned by an employee of WSU’s veterinary college.
The bulls are known by numbers 1, 2, and 3 right now based upon the sequence of
their delivery and pending a registered name. One person who has seen them
has suggested they be called Saint, Patrick, and Day to commemorate the holiday
they were born on.
