Dozens of baby cows are born on North State dairy farms every day, and the majority of them will grow up and live their lives in relative obscurity. But one Glenn County farmer has a tale for the ages. Quadruplets, all milk-producing heifers, were born on the farm on December 6.
Action News reporter Rick Carhart visited Zuppan Dairy in Orland and brings us the story.
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There's a routine to life here on the farm. John Zuppan has been milking cows for the past 69 years. He's seen most everything in that time, but he's never seen this.
John says, "in my lifetime I've never heard of it...that four calves from the same cow and four heifers are all healthy, that's amazing to me."
Zuppan's Veterinarian, Mike Karle, says even twin births are fairly rare for dairy cattle, and can often lead to the death of the mother cow. As for quadruplets, Karle estimates the odds at 1 in 700 thousand overall, and to have all four babies be female, and all four and their mother survive... much higher, up to 1 in 179 million.
Dr. Karle says, "it almost never happens...we're going to check into the Guinness Book of World Records."
It takes a lot to upset the routine, but even veteran farmers like the Zuppan family could see how unique this is.
John says, "we figure it's so rare that it should be out there to where people can view it and see what it's like."
The four had better take advantage of their popularity while they can, because soon they'll go to work like all the other newborns.
John says, "in two years they'll be milking...they'll be part of the herd."
As for mom, giving birth to over 160 pounds of baby cow hasn't stopped her.
John says, "I attribute that to the nutrition that she's had...we feed our cows the best, take care of them the best we can."
Mike says, "we treated her a little special and got her going. She looks great now."
And so life will return to normal, just the way folks on this farm would prefer it.
The four baby heifers are about to go back into obscurity. They'll be among the 400 cows the Zuppan Dairy uses to provide milk for the Land O' Lakes corporation to turn into cheese.
