or 



NOTES FOR THE DETERMINATION OF THE 

 AGE OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS 



See also Plate III 



The general appearance of an animal will indicate as a mle, whether it is old 

 ^, young; btit for precise determination of the age, a careful examination is neces- 

 sary. In the cases of horses, cows, sheep and swine, the condition of the front 

 tetth serves to indicate the age. A study of the drawings, Plate III, in connection 

 with the following notes, will be of service in estimating age. 



I he horse 



The horse has six incisors in cither jaw. (See drawings plate III). The middle 

 pair are called middles. The next pair intermediates, and the outer pair laterals. 



The colt has its first set of teeth by the time it is five or six months old. These 

 are replaced by permanent teeth as follows: First pair of permanent teeth 

 (middled) come at three years; second pair of permanent teeth (intermediates) 

 come at four years old; third pair of permanent teeth (laterals) are up at five years. 

 The permanent teeth are much larger than the colt teeth and when new possess 

 well marked depressions called cups (Sec Plate III). At six years the cups have 

 disappeared from the lower middles. At seven, from the lower intermediates; at 

 eight, from the lower laterals. At nine from the upper middles; at ten from the 

 upper intermediates; and at eleven from the upper laterals. Thus a horse at eleven 

 is said to be *'vSmooth moxithed." The age of smooth mouthed horses can be 

 determined only relatively. The teeth become longer, narrower and thicker with 

 age, and incline forward instead of meeting squarely as in animals of prime age. 

 (See PI. Ill figs, showing side view of nippers of the horse). 



The Cow (Plate III) 



The cow has eight incisors in the lower jaw and none in the upper. They are 

 designated middles, first intermediates, second intermediates, and laterals. (See 

 drawings) . The month old calf has its milk or first set of teeth. By two years of 

 age the permanent middles are up. By three years permanent first intermediates. 

 By four years permanent second intermediates. By five years permanent laterals. 

 From this time on the wear of the teeth and the general appearance serve to indi- 

 cate in a general way the age. (See figure of lo year old.) 



Sheep (Plate III) 



The sheep has eight incisors in lower jaw, and none above. The lamb one month 

 old has its full set of first teeth. These milk teeth are replaced by permanent 

 teeth as follows: Permanent middles are up at one and one-half years; permanent 

 first intermediates at two years; permanent second intermediates at three or three 

 and one-half; laterals at four and one-half. 



Goats 

 About as for sheep. 



27 



