O’Rourke Farms of Barto celebrate heifer triplets

O’Rourke Farms of Barto is celebrating the birth of the recent birth of heifer triplets--the survival rate of which is extremely rare.

“We had no idea she would have triplets. We joked that she was so big, maybe she’d have four or five,” said Shawn O’Rourke, who runs the farm alongside his wife Mary-Ann, and son Shawn.

According to O’Rourke, the chances of such an occurance are 1 in 8 million. The triplet females were born Saturday, Nov. 17, two weeks prior to the due date, with no assistance. Eaching weighed in at 40-45 lbs. The three were lovingly nicknamed Holly, Dolly, and Polly.

The O’Rourke family dairy farm milks 135-155 cows a days, 3 times a day.

The births took place about two to three hours apart, beginning at 5 p.m.