Triplet calves born to cow owned by pair of Southeast Missouri farmers

It's a lot o' bull, or at least it will be.

On April 17, an 8-year-old Brangus cow owned by Royce and Kevin Hudson gave birth to triplets, all males.

Royce said he previously had cows give birth to twins, but never triplets. Veterinarian experts say such an event happens only once every 105,000 births. It's even rarer if all three calves survive.

That Sunday evening, he said, one calf appeared, then another and finally the third showed up. Mama did it all by herself, he said. The entire process took about an hour for all three to come into the world.

Royce seems to have taken the matter as a natural event, but a neighbor didn't and even offered to buy the cow from him -- an offer Royce declined.

Royce said even with the four twin births from some of his other cows, not all of the calves made it. This is the first multiple birth for this particular cow, Royce said.

Royce and Kevin both say all three calves appear to be healthy.

Royce said Mama has enough milk to feed them for several weeks. After that, he said he will have to supplement their feed.

Multiple births, Royce said, is a "freak thing." He and Kevin jointly own about 60 head of cattle.

Royce said the calves should start eating grass in about two months.

In about five months, he will sell them. Right now the price of calves is about $1.70 per pound in the 500-to-600-pound range.

The calves will be taken and put on a feed lot to be fattened up.

He said he sells about 35 calves per year.

Royce, 75, has been a farmer all his life. He first started farming near Broseley. That land, which has been laser-graded, is rented out, he said.

Kevin farms and raises cows plus working his full time job as a lineman for Municipal Utilities.

Together, the two generations of farmers also farm land up and down highways W and O.