Brothers demand DNA test in quarrel over calf

Two brothers in Jingning She autonomous county, Zhejiang province, who quarreled about which of them owned a calf, paid 5,000 yuan ($809) for a DNA test, China News Service reported on Monday.

The brothers, surnamed Ye and residents of Houlong village, had cows that calved in March and May of 2013 and put the cows and calves on a hill to graze. In April, the brothers went to see the calves and found one was stronger than the other. Each considered the stronger calf was his and they argued vehemently. They went to the police for mediation but failed to reach an agreement.

The brothers wanted DNA testing to identify which cow was the mother of the stronger calf, despite the police telling them it was not worth the cost as calves are worth about 2,000 yuan while a DNA test would cost 5,000 yuan. However, the brothers insisted on the testing.

The DNA result showed the stronger calf belonged to the younger brother and the elder brother paid for the test as they had agreed beforehand the loser would do so. The elder brother finally said the test was not worth the cost.