A special calf with two faces, including four eyes, two noses, two mouths, and two ears, is thriving more than a week after being born on a farm in southwest Louisiana.
The calf, born at Breaux Farms LLC in Cossinade, about 90 miles from Baton Rouge, looks normal from its ears back and has been named “Deux Face,” which means "two" in French. Owners Eric and Dawn Breaux shared on Facebook that such a birth is extremely rare, with the odds at 1 in 400 million.
“We know this calf will have a short life span and will most likely only live a few days. She has beaten a lot of odds by being born alive,”Dawn Breaux said.
Typically, calves born with polycephaly, or multiple heads, do not survive long after birth. The record for the longest-surviving two-faced calf is 40 days, according to Ripley’s Believe It or Not!.
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Now at 8 days old, Deux Face is slowly getting stronger with help from the Breauxs and several veterinarians, as per their Facebook updates.
“She has trouble lifting her head but is holding it up more and more as she is getting stronger. She is not standing on her own yet so she is unable to nurse on her mom. We have been bottle feeding her from the start,” Dawn Breaux updated.
To help her build strength in her legs, Deux Face is being supported by a sling and even gets to spend some time outside in the sun with the other cows. However, the calf is not up for sale.
The Breauxs have requested privacy, declining visitors, photos, and media interviews, emphasizing the calf's safety and their family’s privacy.
“She does not appear to be suffering or in any pain,” they mentioned in a Facebook post. “We are monitoring her constantly and taking it day by day. She has beaten many odds, but only time will tell her fate. We are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. This is the reality of caring for God’s creations.”
