Veterinarian Andres Rodriguez feeds milk to quadruplet calves born on the state-owned dairy farm in Picadura, Cuba, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013. Rodriguez said he was shocked when he went to a help a cow named Aleli give birth Aug. 29. She'd already had one calf when he got to her. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
September 20, 2013 - 11:49 AM
PICADURA, Cuba - Holy Cow! A Cuban dairy farmer says one of his cows has given birth to four healthy calves, a highly rare occurrence.
Veterinarian Andres Rodriguez runs state-owned dairy No. 128 in Picadura, about 44 miles (70 kilometres) east of Havana.
He says he was shocked when he went to a help a 3-year-old cow named Aleli give birth Aug. 29. She'd already had one calf when he got to her. Then another was born. And another, and another.
Three are male, and one a hermaphrodite.
According to U.S. and European experts, the odds of delivering live quadruplet calves are one in 11 million births. If all are the same gender, the odds rise to one in 179 million. No numbers could be found for a quad birth including a hermaphrodite.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013