Missouri farmer's male calf born with two heads

[February 28, 2009]  ALDRICH, Mo. (AP) -- A southwest Missouri cattleman has been delivering calves at his farm for a long time, but a calf born this week sure was different.

This one had two heads. Scott Clift said he delivered the chocolate-colored male calf Wednesday morning at his farm near Aldrich, in Polk County. Clift said the calf had two fully-formed heads that appeared to be connected to its body just behind the skull.

Clift said late Thursday that the calf lived about a day and a half. It was unable to walk, so Clift and his family bottle-fed the animal until it died at 6 p.m. Clift said "We've never seen anything like it."

Few people have, said University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist Eldon Cole. Such births do happen -- the condition is known as polycephaly -- but Cole says "They're pretty darn rare."

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Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com

[Associated Press]

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