Lucky, indeed. For two years in a row, triplet calves have been born at Lucky Seven Cattle Company in central Alberta on New Year’s Day. The triplets’ purebred Red Angus mother entered labour around 3 a.m. and gave birth to her first calf unassisted shortly after 4 a.m. But she still had a belly. “Sure enough, I palpate this cow, and yep, there’s another set of feet and a head right there. So we courtesy pulled that calf,” owner Stacey Stimpson told CTV News Edmonton in an interview on Monday. Her dad warned her against putting the chains away too soon. “I rolled my eyes,” Simpson said. “But (I) did due diligence and went in again. I was about shoulder deep in this cow and I could just feel the tips (of the feet) on the third calf.” The calf was backwards, which is a dangerous position because of the suffocation risk, so Simpson also pulled out the third and final calf. Her name is Darla, named after older sisters Marla and Carla. “Triplets are a rarity in any breed. To get them all alive is like, ‘Holy cow,’” Simpson said. “What did we do to deserve this?” The same thing happened last year, when the triplets’ grandmother also birthed triplets. “Something in the water? I don’t know,” Simpson laughed. The triplets and mama are doing well. Marla stayed with her mother, but Carla and Darla are being cared for by a nurse cow, to reduce the strain on their mother. Their weights ranged from 51 to 56 pounds. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti
