Quadruplet calves in Minn. beat odds of 1 in 11.2 million

Deb Beldo feeds the quadruplet calves. (Photo by Jamie Belz)

Twin calves are pretty common, and triplets are not unheard of, but last week a cow on a farm near Sebeka, Minn., gave birth to quadruplets. The two male and two female calves lived and are thriving. The odds of quadruplet calves are rare enough at 1 in 700,000 births, but the odds of a quad birth with all surviving are 1 in 11.2 million, Nina Moini reports for Minnesota Public Radio.

The owners, Deb and Chuck Beldo, shared pictures of the calves on Facebook and said they are all small but doing well. The Beldos are no strangers to farming: their farm is an official Minnesota Century Farm, and has been in the family since 1882. But even with their experience, the family didn't realize the cow was pregnant with quadruplets.

Their daughter, Jamie Belz, told MPR that "Mom had noticed she was large, but didn't think too much of it" especially since the cow had had twins earlier this year. The family is taking suggestions for names on Facebook.