214 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



carry the mark of a four-year old. Sometimes the two 

 horns on the same animal show different numbers of rings. 

 Further, if the horn has been filed and rubbed down, as 

 with show animals, some of the oldest rings may become so 

 indistinct as to be difficult of observation. Therefore, it 

 may be concluded that the horn is not a very accurate 

 guide to determine the age of the ox. 



The teeth as an indication of the age of the ox are a 

 fairly accurate g'uide for perhaps the first six years of the 

 animal's life. The mouth of the ox, with all the teeth in 

 place, has eight incisors on the front of the lower jaw, and 

 six molar or cheek teeth in the back of each upper and 

 lower jaw, a total of thirty-two. As in the case of the 

 sheep, the front upper jaw of the ox is supplied with a 

 tough pad, against which the lower front teeth touch in 

 slanting position. The front teeth serve for indicating the 

 age. The calf at birth or a few days later, shows two 

 teeth. Within two weeks two more teeth have appeared, 

 one on each side of the first pair. Two more follow these, 

 perhaps, the third week, and within a month or even less, 

 eight temporary or milk teeth occupy the front of the 

 lower jaw. These temporary teeth wear down gradually, 

 beginning with the central pair. At three months the six 

 central teeth will be worn off somewhat, and at four months 

 the entire eight will show a reduced surface. From this 

 time on, the teeth go through a process of reduction from 

 the central pair outward, becoming smaller and more and 

 more triangular with shorter crowns and increased space 

 between each pair of teeth. At about one year of age 

 there are four small triangular teeth in the center, with 

 two ordinary milk teeth on each side of these. At eighteen 

 months or thereabouts, all eight teeth are small, with tri- 

 angular tops, and distinctly separated from each other. 

 Finally, between eighteen months and two years, the first 

 pair of milk teeth disappear, and a pair of larger and 

 permanent ones take their place. During the period of 

 two to two and one-half years, the pair of milk teeth next 



