Cow, triplets doing well at Bourbon County farm

Loretta George/Tribune photo Lewis Preston looks over the triplet Angus calves born on his farm on Nov. 15.

A rarity among cattle, triplet calves were born at the Lewis and Janilla Preston farm, on Nov. 15.

The black Angus mother is "very large and gentle, thank heavens," Janilla Preston said.

Not expecting the multiple birth, the triplets were born unaided in the pasturev. In fact, the Preston's weren't even home when the birth took place.

Loretta George/Tribune photo Triplet calves follow their mother at the Lewis and Janilla Preston farm south of Uniontown Tuesday. The calves were born Nov. 15 and so far, the cow is keeping them fed without assistance from a bottle.

"We didn't expect any issues or we would have had them in a pen," she said. There was no artificial insemination involved in the births.

The Prestons have been running cattle for about 50 years and never had triplets before, but are working to keep the mother well fed.

"So far this has been problem-free. Lewis is feeding her twice a day so her milk production will stay up and the calves have all the colostrum they need, so if we have to bottle feed them later, they'll have had the colostrum. We feel fortunate she is feeding them well," Janilla Preston said

Lewis Preston said he is sure he won't have to bottle feed the triplets.

"She'll teach them to eat grain. I'll have them on the udder for nine months, then when the prairie grass comes up, it'll be fine. They have their own 20 acres. If they get with the other cows, they get separated and that won't work," Lewis said.

The Prestons have about 40 beef cattle and 40 head of Holstein dairy cattle on their farm south of Uniontown.

Steve Bartle, Kansas State University research director at the school's Beef Cattle Institute, said dairy cattle have a higher incidence of multiple births about 1 in 5,000, he said and for beef cattle he estimated there is about 1 in 5,000 to 10,000 chance of having multiple births.