DETERMINING THE AGE OF STOCK 167 



as there is any of this roughness left as a button on the 

 tips the animal is a two-year-old and generally the teeth 

 will prove it. At full three the steer's horns are smooth 

 and clean to the very tips. 



Rings. The rings on the base of a cow's horns are 

 not altogether dependable as an evidence of her age. 

 They do not come on her horns until she has dropped 

 her first calf, which may vary considerably with 

 certain animals. On an average the addition of 

 three to the number of rings on the horns up to seven 

 will be approximately correct, making the cow ten years 

 old. After that, however, it is more an estimate than an 

 accurate determination of the animal's age. Bulls and 

 steers have no rings on their horns. 



Age of Horses. The horse has six incisors or front 

 teeth and two tushes or canine teeth on each jaw, be- 

 sides the grinders. At twelve months a horse has six 

 colt teeth or incisors on each jaw which remain in use 

 until the animal is about two and one-half years old. At 

 that time the two center 1 incisors are shed and the 

 permanent teeth are coming in. 



At from 2 to 2^ years the two central milk incisors 

 are replaced by permanent incisors and these are up and 

 in wear at 3. 



At from 3 to 3 l / 2 years the two lateral milk incisors 

 are replaced by permanent incisors and these are up and 

 in wear at 4. 



At 4 to 4j/2 the corner incisors are replaced and are 

 up and in wear at 5. The tushes come in at the same 

 time. 



At 6 the "cups" or marks begin to disappear from the 

 central permanent incisors. 



