Holstein triplets
Keywords: triplets, bovine, cow, pregnancy,hymen
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Triplets from a six-year-old Holstein cow weighing 652 Kg at the time of admission. The cow died at the time of admission due to fatty infiltration of the liver. It was assumed that the cow had been in a state of energy deficiency because she was carrying triplets.
These triplets were conceived during a nonmedicated cycle but the cow had produced twins earlier of in her life and was a cotwin herself. There were four corpora lutea in her ovaries.
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Interestingly, in addition to the triplets an amorphous globosis (shown in the top image between the calves) was present, suggesting that it had been conceived from the fourth ovulation. If this had indeed been the case, it probably did not have a male genotype because the three calves were apparently normal, showing no signs of freemartinism.
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The only abnormality in the genital tract of one calf was the presence of a partially persistent hymen. That hymen is shown by the lower probe on the right side of this image. The upper probe merely illustrates that this calf had a normal cervix.
Approximately one month before they would have been born. The weight of the calves and their crown-rump measurements (respectively) were as follows: 26Kg 84cm, 22Kg 78cm and 28Kg 87cm.
Note: Predisposition to twin ovulation is heritable and varies accordingly from ~ 0 to 15%. Presumably, there is a predisposition to multiple ovulations in general. In beef, triplets births account for less than 0.01% of all calvings. Figures for dairy cows are probably similar.
Interestingly, in super ovulated cattle it has been shown that up to 3 fetuses may be present within within a single uterine horn with up to five calves going to term. When third calves were cross-fostered to a dam whose calf had died, survival rates to weaning were 96%, 86% and 69% for singlets, twins and triplets respectively (Echternkamp J. 1992, Anim. Sci. 2007. 85:3239-3248)
