Rare twin donkeys born at Minnesota farm
Only 1.7% of donkeys have twins, and of that only 14% survive. With the joy of twins, came the sorrow of losing one, hours after it was born.
Rare twin donkeys born at Minnesota farm
There were exciting moments this past week at a Webster, Minnesota farm as a rare set of twin donkeys were born. But that amazing moment is one of many at the Rolling Acres Ranch that is just the beginning of a dream come true for owners Darick and Madi Kvam. And the dreams just keep getting bigger.
WEBSTER, Minn. – There were exciting moments this past week at a Webster, Minnesota, farm as a rare set of twin donkeys were born.
That amazing moment is one of many at the Rolling Acres Ranch that is just the beginning of a dream come true for owners Darick and Madi Kvam, and the dreams just keep getting bigger.
On the farm, busy starts at daybreak and no day is the same. Last Thursday was delivery day for a very pregnant mammoth donkey named "Tania."
"So I look out here, and I see a baby starting to come out like the sack and everything. And so I call him because he stayed out of the house. I'm like, We're having a baby," Madi Kvam said.
As if baby Millie wasn't enough, something incredible was about to happen.
"All of a sudden, we hear this big like, whoosh, like water breaking noise and another baby is coming down," Madi Kvam explained.
Only 1.7% of donkeys have twins, and of that, only 14% survive. So with the joy of twins, came the sorrow of losing one, hours after it was born.
Last Thursday was delivery day for a very pregnant mammoth donkey named "Tania."
(FOX 9)
"It came out with a little bit of a deformity, so it couldn't stand … or get any milk from mama," explained Madi Kvam. "And it was maybe not even half the size of the other one."
The Kvams know there are always ups and downs in farming, and so far, it's been a wonderful, noisy and sometimes hilarious journey.
It all started in 2020 when Darick Kvam was about to be deployed. They bought a few chickens to help Madi stay extra busy. They added goats and were gifted a few ducks, then picked up a stray along the way. Just last August, on the Kvams wedding day, they got the most unexpected gift.
"And, you know, later in the night, they pulled up two chairs and had us both sit on these chairs and said they had a gift for us with pictures of the donkey," Darick Kvam said. "And that's where we found out at 10:30 on our wedding night."
Darick and Madi Kvam own Rolling Acres Ranch.
(FOX 9)
While the Kvams love the fun of having a farm, that's not where this story ends. In fact, it's just the beginning of a much greater mission.
"But the goal is to be able to, you know, to have produce and protein and meat for our community at an affordable price," said Darick. "Sustainable food for our community would be ideal."
With their first baby in the barn, there are more to come as the chickens and ducks lay eggs, and a couple of the dairy goats are due in the spring. For the Kvams, it's new life to help the lives of those around them.