Calf born with two heads on farm near Blyth, Ont. - Action News
Home WebMail Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 10:31 AM | Calgary | 6.8°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
Windsor

Calf born with two heads on farm near Blyth, Ont.

An Ontario farmer recently participated in the birth of a calf that was born with two heads.

Warning: A graphic image is included in this story that may upset some readers

In more than four decades of farming, Les Caldwell had never seen anything like it.

It was a young calf hehelped deliver and it wasborn with two heads.

"It had these two noses and then I thought at first it only had three eyes, but closer examination showed that it had the two noses, the four eyes, but only two ears,"Caldwell told CBC News, when recalling the event.

A calf was born at this Ontario farm on March 1, 2016. (Les Caldwell)

The birth occurred on March 1at his North Huron Township farm, which is located just north of Blyth, Ont.

The calf was born at night and Caldwell believed it was unlikely to liveuntil the morning. But it did.

However, it could not stand on its own or nurse from its mother.

"The poor little thing was lying therejust kicking, just kicking,"Caldwell said.

Caldwell said it is his understanding that calves like the one born onhis farm do not typically live very long.

After consulting with a veterinarian, the decision was made to euthanize the calf.

A baby calf was born with two heads at a farm near Blyth, Ont., on March 1, 2016. (Submitted)

"I do not want to see any of my livestock suffer,"Caldwell said.

The calf's remains were then taken to the University of Guelph.

"Upon examination, when they did the pathology report, then it was determined that the calf did have two brains and it did have two esophaguses, but just the one spinal cord,"said Caldwell.

He said it's believed that this calf may have been a set of twins that did not divide as expected at an early stage of development.

With files from the CBC's Julia Chapman