Mutant cow is one in 400 million after it was born with two heads

The bizarre birth - as rare as one in 400 million - took place at the Tarter family's farm in Edmonson County, in the US state of Kentucky. The calf died shortly after birth

A mutant cow born with two heads, four eyes and ears, two mouths and two noses has been declared one in 400 million.

The Tarter family were left shocked by the bizarre birth at their farm in Edmonson County, in the US state of Kentucky. Cassie Tarter, 20, said she was shocked to be told how rare the birth was.

Cassie, an agriculture student, said: "I was shocked. "He had two heads, four ears, four eyes, two noses, two mouths, and two tongues. He was very short-backed but he also had his spine inverted into his chest cavity. His back legs were deformed and he had a very short tail.

"We had a pig like this years ago but I wasn't born at the time."

Two-headed animals often face a multitude of health problems, and though this one was born alive, it lived only a short time. As well as an abnormal spine, the calf had a cleft palate in one of its mouths, arthrogryposis in its legs, and an underdeveloped rectum.

Nonetheless, its short life made a big impact on Cassie and her classmates. She said: "I had to have it to bring to my class at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. I learned that there are two ways this can happen: one is DNA RNA replication, another is it being twins that stopped growing and started to be 'absorbed'.

"We did an autopsy on him in my physiology and reproduction class and found out his organs were perfect for just one calf so it wasn't a twin that stopped growing."

The mother cow is doing well, despite the death of her calf. And though the experience was tinged with loss, some good came out of the bad.

Cassie said: "It was a bit of both because we did end up turning it into a learning experience. So I got that out of it, and so did everybody else."