Ruthven farmer Abram Knelsen, a long-time cattle keeper, recently experienced a rare and remarkable event on his farm in southwestern Ontario. One of his Aberdeen Angus cows gave birth to quadruplet calves in a single afternoon, a sight that left Knelsen in awe.
Describing the birth as a miracle, Knelsen, who speaks Low German as his first language and identifies as a godly man, expressed his happiness at the unexpected event. The four healthy newborns, born on Tuesday, were seen mooing for milk and exploring the farm by Wednesday afternoon.
The odds of quadruplets being born to cows are approximately one in 700,000, as reported by the BBC. However, the chances of all four calves being born alive and well are extremely rare, at one in 11 million.
Knelsen emphasized that there was no medical intervention involved in the natural breeding process of the mother cow, who was impregnated by Charlie, the Black Angus bull. The quadruplets consist of three baby bulls and one baby heifer.
Christine Knelsen, Abram’s daughter-in-law, shared the excitement of the family upon learning about the quadruplets through updates in a group chat. Initially told there were twins, the family was astonished when Abram revealed the birth of three calves and then finally four.
With the addition of the quadruplets, Knelsen’s cattle count now stands at seven. Despite the sudden increase in mouths to feed, Knelsen views the quadruplets as a valuable asset, particularly since Aberdeen Angus bulls can fetch several thousand dollars in the market at a year old.
The extraordinary birth of the quadruplets has brought unexpected joy and potential financial gain to Abram Knelsen’s farm in Ruthven, marking a truly unique and memorable event in his many years of cattle farming.