Rare triplet calves born at Cainbable Creek are growing from strength to strength after their surprise entrance to the world.
See more photos at end of story, below.
Triplet calves in beef cattle are reported to be as rare as one in a million, and it is particularly rare for all three triplets to survive.
Jess and Ayden Hogan and kids Josie, 13 and Thomas, 11, moved from one acre at Maudsland on the Gold Coast to the 60-acre property at Cainbable Creek after buying it from locals John and Lise Leatherbarrow 18 months ago.
The Hogans are new to farming and have a small herd of 16 Brangus cattle for their own use, a vegetable garden and some chickens.
The Beaudesert Bulletin received the news tip about the triplets from the excited Leatherbarrows, who were proud of their old cow Toots, 7, for the rare feat.
The Bulletin met the triplets on 12 December (they were born on 16 November) and confirmed in early January all three triplets and their mum were still going well.
Jess said it was an exciting experience.
“I came into the paddock and Toots was licking a calf, and I thought it might be someone else’s because she was still in labour. I went inside and had lunch because she was okay and I came back out and she’d had a second one and was looking after both calves,” she said.
“She laid down again, heaving. I thought, ‘It couldn’t be three – beef cows never have three,’ then a third one came out. I got straight onto Lise and said, ‘has Toots ever had more than one calf?’ and Lise said, ‘absolutely not’. I said, ‘Well I think she’s got three’.”
Jess said Josie named the calves Kevin, Sunny and Sack-a (because she turns into a sack of potatoes when you pick her up).
“Josie was feeding the bull calf and called him Kevin because he was always bellowing. We were watching a lot of Christmas movies and Kevin from Home Alone, screams a lot.”
She said the triplets were faring well.
“I’m happy to bottle feed whoever, but if they don’t have to be separated, I don’t want to do it. They’re all doing really well so we’ll leave them for now,” she said.
