Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Nina Moini

Cow gives birth to quadruplet calves on Minnesota farm

Quadruplet calves
Deb and Chuck Beldo tend to quadruplet calves born on their farm near Sebeka, Minn., in May 2018.
Courtesy of Jamie Belz

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

A central Minnesota farm family is celebrating an agricultural rarity this holiday weekend: One of their cows gave birth to quadruplet calves.

The calves — two male, two female — were born last week on the Beldo family's farm near Sebeka, Minn.

Deb Beldo and her family took to Facebook to share photos and videos, and report the calves are small, but doing fine. The Beldos live on a farm that has been in the family since they homesteaded it in 1882; it's an official Minnesota Century Farm.

Quadruplet calves
Deb Beldo tends to three of the quadruplet calves born on their farm near Sebeka, Minn., in May 2018.
Courtesy of Jamie Belz

Daughter Jamie Belz told MPR News the family was surprised to see that the cow, who doesn't have a name, had quadruplets.

"Mom had noticed she was large, but didn't think too much of it. Twins are fairly common," Belz said. "Actually, they had a set of twins born earlier this year, but unfortunately they came during the crazy cold weather we had in April and they didn't make it."

The quadruplet calves and their mother, however, were doing well on Sunday. Belz said the family was still looking for suggestions to name the calves on Sunday afternoon.

A few other cases of quadruplet calves have been reported in the past few years. News reports on those cases, citing the veterinary textbook "Veterinary Obstetrics and Genital Diseases," place the odds of a cow having quadruplet calves at 1 in 700,000. But the odds of all four calves being born alive are placed at 1 in 11.2 million.