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Rare triplet bull calves born near Ponoka

The six year old red Angus/Simmental cow has had twins before, now triplets
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It’s rare to find triplet calves born and even more rare if they’re the same sex. Ponoka and Bashaw area farmer Byron Hagglund says these triplets were born unassisted just recently from a red Angus/Simmental cow. Photo courtesy of Byron Hagglund

Ponoka area farmer Byron Hagglund may want to buy a lottery ticket after a six-year-old cow just gave birth to triplet bull calves.

The odds of triplets from the same cow are pretty slim, and the odds of the triplets being the same sex, even more so. A search on the Internet finds the odds around the one in two million to four million chance for same sex triplets.

Hagglund said the triplets were born just recently unassisted from his red Angus/Simmental cow, which has had twins before, but not triplets.

It’s the second time in 25 years he’s seen triplets. Hagglund says it’s something in the genes of his cattle as he’s seen twins born several times at his farm. “We get more twins than a lot of people.”

Hagglund lives just east of town between Ponoka and Bashaw.

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It’s rare to find triplet calves born and even more rare if they’re the same sex. Ponoka and Bashaw area farmer Byron Hagglund says these triplets were born unassisted just recently from a red Angus/Simmental cow. Photo courtesy of Byron Hagglund
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The triplets are just a couple hours old in this photo. Photo courtesy of Byron Hagglund