A cavalcade of calves : 50 sets of twins

Chris Johnson has seen double before during spring calving. But never like this. Of the 300 cows that have given birth so far this spring on his family’s ranch, 50 — or roughly 16 percent — have had twins. Yes, you’re reading that correctly. “It’s 50 sets of twins. Fifty cows, 100 calves; all twins, no triplets. I know it’s probably a little hard to believe,” said Johnson, who ranches with his dad, Keith; uncle, Wayne; and brother, Jeremy. “We’ve had twins here before. But nothing like what we’re seeing this year,” Chris Johnson said. “There have been days we’ve gone out and found (newly born) twins. Then, we go back out a few hours later and there’s another set of twins. You start asking yourself, ‘Is this really happening?’” he said. So, why all the twins for the Johnsons? The upturn might be a one-year fluke with no underlying cause, Johnson said. If there is a reason, “it might be genetics. Or it might be the (excellent) weather last fall,” he said. Another possibility is that the cows are eating dried distiller’s grain from the ethanol plant in Casselton, N.D., Johnson said. “Maybe it’s one of those things or a combination. We just don’t know,” he said...more