Rare triplet calves born on Estonian farm take first steps outside

A farm called Peetri Põld ja Piim, located about 100 kilometers from Tallinn in Järva County, Estonia, celebrated the birth of triplet calves in late July — an occurrence estimated to happen in only one out of every 100,000 calvings. The trio consists of two heifer calves and one bull calf.

According to the farm's livestock manager, Getter Niilo, who spoke to the program "Aktuaalne kaamera," the bull calf and one of the heifers resemble each other, while the second heifer takes after their mother's dark coloring, reflecting that black is the dominant color trait. On the day of the birth, staff gave the calves special monitoring for several hours, and a large group of onlookers gathered to witness the rare event.

An unexpected arrival

Farm manager Kristjan Satsi said the triplets came as a complete surprise. A pregnancy check conducted about a month after insemination had initially detected only twins, with the third calf discovered only later. Equally surprising, he said, was that all three calves survived, since the survival rate for triplet calves is typically only around 50 percent. Satsi noted these were the first live triplets born during his time at the farm. The early days were difficult, particularly for the bull calf, but all three are now drinking milk and moving around actively.

Satsi also pointed out that carrying triplets puts significant strain on a cow's body, with the mother able to lose up to 150 kilograms of weight after such a birth. The calves were kept separate from their mother immediately after birth, but by the time "Aktuaalne kaamera" visited the farm on Wednesday, they had grown strong enough to go outside and meet her for the first time.

Niilo added that the mother is a particularly productive dairy cow, having produced almost 12,000 kilograms of milk during her first lactation and nearly 18,000 kilograms during her second. She has now begun her third lactation while raising the triplets.