The fact that a new mother is 19 years old wouldn’t be news—except that she’s a cow, and the birth this week was her 17th child, and, beyond all that, the newborn calf is just so darned cute. It was born at Ayrshire Farm in Upperville, Virginia, where the staff are amazed. “No one at Ayrshire Farm knew she was pregnant until last week,” a spokesperson said. “They have not put her in with the bull—apparently he paid a visit, though.” Good call.

According to Ayrshire, a 19-year-old cow would be comparable to a 110-year-old woman. Producing 17 calves is unusual, too. “To put this into perspective,” said the spokesperson, “the average beef cow lives to be nine or ten and has an average of seven to eight calves.” Most important, she added, “both mom and baby are doing well.”  

Baby and mother. Photograph courtesy of Ayrshire Farm.