Ruthven farmer Abram Knelsen, a Mennonite who primarily speaks Low German, has been raising cows for a long time. However, he was astonished when one of his Aberdeen Angus cows gave birth to four healthy calves in one afternoon. Describing it as a miracle, Knelsen expressed his joy and disbelief at the rare occurrence.
The quadruplet calves were born on a Tuesday and were already active and vocal by Wednesday. The odds of quadruplets being born in cows are approximately one in 700,000, as reported by the BBC. The chances of all four calves surviving and being healthy are even slimmer at one in 11 million.
Knelsen, a devout man, emphasized that there was no medical intervention involved in the natural breeding process that led to the birth of the quadruplets. The group of calves consists of three bulls and one heifer.
Christine Knelsen, Abram’s daughter-in-law, recounted the excitement within the family as they received updates about the newborns. Initially told there were twins, the family was surprised to learn there were actually three calves, and eventually, the news of the fourth calf left them overjoyed.
With the addition of the quadruplets, Knelsen now has seven cows on his farm. Despite the sudden increase in mouths to feed, he views the calves as a valuable investment since he raises them as beef cattle. An Aberdeen Angus bull at a year old can fetch a significant price in the market, making the birth of four calves simultaneously a welcome windfall for Knelsen.
