IFA (Irish Farmer’s Association) county chairmen in north Leinster have lately become accustomed to triplet heifer calves being born on their farms.
Newly elected IFA Louth county chair, Kevin Sweeney was recently surprised to find triplet heifer calves born on his farm in Ardee.
While his Friesian cross cow is only a second calver, she delivered the three Angus heifers less than a fortnight ago.
Sweeney said he “couldn’t believe it” when he came down to the shed and was greeted by the sight of the triplets.
He said that it took the calves a day or two of getting sufficient feeding until they were eventually “flying it”.
“It’s something I’ve never seen before, and I’ll hardly ever see it again, unless she decides to have them again next year!”
Sweeney was just newly appointed as the new IFA county chair last week, taking over from John Carroll in the role.
Sweeney told Agriland that the calves are currently with the cow, as he wanted to give them “the best of a start”.
He said that the triplet calves are a “great bit of luck to see in your lifetime”.
Sweeney was told by his daughters Holly, Sadie, Maria and Michaela that he is not allowed to sell the calves.
“I have to do what I’m told,” he added.
Triplet heifer calves
Meanwhile, the Longford IFA chair John Sheridan saw triplet Friesian heifers born in the middle of February on his own farm in Edwardstown.
Sheridan told Agriland the calves are “well-reared already” and are “absolutely flying it”.
He said the day his cow was calving, Sheridan was with his son John when they saw the first calf coming out, which they said they had to laugh at, due to it’s small size.
When the second one came out the same size, Sheridan said “there has to be another one in there”.
The last one was then coming backwards, but was then successfully calved.
Sheridan said there was “never a bother on them since the first day they arrived” on to his farm.
When asked what his plans are for the calves, Sheridan was keen to stress “they will be going into the milking parlour”.