A SOUTH Lakes farmer has been left amazed and overjoyed after one of her Charolais cows gave birth to healthy 'miracle' triplets.

Marion Clarke, of The Ashes, Cartmel Fell, said the triplet birth was the first she had experienced on the farm, where she keeps just 12 breeding cows and around 100 sheep.

Cows do not normally have litters of calves and the chances of having triplets are 105,000 to one.

However, cows giving birth to triplets without assistance has previously been described by experts as a ‘statistical miracle’.

Marion, who runs the farm with the help of her nephew, Luke Gleadow, said the calves were born to the three-quarter Charolais cross around 5pm on Sunday.

They were named Bertie, Bruce and Bambie by Luke's girlfriend Loren Bate.

"I've had cows which have delivered twins before, but it's the first time I've had one with triplets," said Marion. "What's unusual is that all three calves are coloured differently.

"They were perfectly natural births and the mother is feeding them all, although I have to prop the calves up so they can suckle her. It's tiring, I was up this morning (Monday) at 3.30am propping them up.

"She's suckling them well now but she won't have enough milk to keep them going for long, so I'll have to take one over and bucket feed it. But I want to keep them all together for as long as I can."