OCOEE, Tenn. – Valentine’s Day at Hutson Farms in Ocoee was full of love when one of the farm’s cows gave birth to triplets. All three calves were heifers. 

“For the first time in the history of Hutson Farms, we had triplets,” said Casey Hutson Chambers of the Feb. 414 birth. “Such an awesome and once-in-a-lifetime event to experience.”

University of Tennessee extension agent Steve Walker said for a cow to have triplets is a 1 in 105,000 chance and a 1 in 840,000 chance for them to all be heifers.

“They’re doing great so far and all we able to get some colostrum. We’re so excited,” Chambers said.

There were other triplets born in Tennessee within the past two years.

In January 2025, Amaleah Goetz, of Valparaiso, was surprised when one of her father’s beef cows gave birth to triplets. On the day of delivery, Goetz expected her 7-year-old, full-blooded Simmental would give birth to one calf, but was stunned when the cow delivered three healthy calves.

“For me, this is like, huge,” said Goetz, who cares for the herd of 36 each day.

The triplets, including a heifer and two bulls, were the first of seven expected at this farm. A week later one of Goetz’s own cows delivered a set of twins.

Goetz named them Shawn, Gus and Juliet, all named after characters on the TV show “Psych.”

In May 2024, Kathy and Kenny Woods, of Telford, witnessed triplets being born to one of their heifers. The Woods raise beef cattle on their farm and said they’ve seen twin calf births before in their herd, but never triplets. The couple took shifts feeding the calves, as mothers to multiple calves often cannot produce enough milk to feed them all.

“You can buy what they call a milk replacement at your local Tractor Supply,” Kenny said. “It’s a formula you mix up. We’re helping the mother out. We also got alfalfa hay and a 16 percent dairy feed that we feed to help get more milk out of her.”

And in Ohio, a cow in Geauga County gave birth to triplets. Roy Greig, of Brookglen Farm in Chardon, said his beef cow has had six pregnancies and has given them 10 calves on their Radcliffe Road farm.

“She has had three singles, two sets of twins and now triplets,” Greig said.

The typical bovine pregnancy is designed to support the growth and delivery of a single calf. A cow’s gestation period lasts approximately nine months, or about 283 days. The cow is classified as a monotocous species, meaning its reproductive system is highly specialized for carrying one fetus to term.

Agriculture experts say multiple births in cattle are rare because cows typically release only one egg during a reproductive cycle.

Across the national cattle population, triplets are estimated to occur in only about 0.3 percent of all calvings, which translates to roughly one set of triplets for every 333 births.

There are health consequences from multiple births. They place a significant strain on the cow’s body and introduce substantial health risks for the calves. The most immediate concern is the high probability of premature birth, as the uterus becomes overcrowded before the full gestation period is complete. Calves from triplet births are nearly always underweight and less developed at delivery.

Second, the physical act of birthing multiple calves also increases the risk of dystocia, a term for a difficult or obstructed labor. A cow’s reproductive tract is poorly adapted to the simultaneous passage of multiple large calves, often requiring human or veterinary intervention to safely complete the delivery.

Finally, the most profound biological consequence of multiple births in cattle is a condition known as freemartinism, which occurs specifically in mixed-sex pregnancies. When a female calf shares the uterus with one or more male fetuses, the placentas often fuse around day 30 to 40 of gestation. This fusion allows the blood supplies to the fetuses to mix.

The transfer of male hormones and cells from the bull calf to the female calf disrupts the development of her reproductive system. Specifically, the male hormones interfere with the formation of the female’s ovaries and reproductive tract, causing them to become underdeveloped and non-functional. As a result, the female calf, knows as a freemartin, is infertile in over 90 percent of cases, making this one of the most significant economic and biological consequences of multiple births in cattle.