Ageing Animals Sheep production How do we age

Ageing Animals Sheep production

How do we age sheep and cattle?

Teeth You can tell approximately how old a sheep or cow is by looking at its teeth.

At birth, lambs have eight baby (or milk) teeth or temporary incisors arranged on their lower jaw. They don't have any teeth on their top jaw, only a dental pad. When lambs are born, they have four pairs of baby or “milk” teeth.

When they are approximately one year old, the middle pair will be replaced by a pair of permanent incisors. Baby teeth

When they are two years old, they will have two pairs of permanent incisors. At 3 and 4 years, the third and fourth pairs of baby teeth are replaced

After age 5, their teeth will begin to spread apart, break, then fall out. Teeth problems are one of the reasons ewes may be removed from a flock. A sheep with no teeth (approximately 10 years of age) is called a “gummer. ” 6/7 year old

Holding the animals

A sheep with no incisor teeth can still survive because it uses mostly its molars for chewing feed. However, it will have a harder time grazing, especially short vegetation. This is why a lot of ewes are culled from the flock after 6/7 years of age.

Aging sheep is the same as aging goats

Cattle Age: Two The first permanent incisors (blue dots) come in from about the time a cow is 1 1/2 years old to two years. By approximately age two years they are typically fully developed. They often come in at an angle and then straighten.

Age: Three The second pair of permanent incisors (green dots) appear somewhere around age 2 1/2 years, and are typically fully developed by age three years. Age: Four At approximately age 3 1/2 years the third pair of permanent incisors (red dots) are cut and are typically fully developed by age four years.

Age: Five At approximately age 4 1/2 years the last of the cow's permanent incisor teeth (the "corner" incisors; pink dots) are cut, and are typically fully developed by age five years. Therefore, at age five years, cows typically have all eight of their permanent incisors erupted and in use. At this age the incisors are tall, relatively flat across the front (when compared to older ages), sharp at the top, and close together.

Age: Six From age six forward, estimating cattle age by their teeth is based on the degree of wear of the teeth. Estimating the age of cattle from this point forward becomes more difficult. At age six years the cow's eight permanent incisor teeth will begin to show various degrees of wear. The tops of the teeth will still be comparatively sharp but will have begun to dull slightly, and the teeth will begin to take on a slightly rounded appearance from side-to-side (as opposed to appearing more flat from side-to-side as seen in younger ages). At age six the tops of teeth typically still touch, but subtle separations toward the bottom, between at least some of the teeth, may begin to appear. Commonly, little if any of the roots will be visible at the gum line.

Age: Seven At age seven years the cow's eight permanent incisor teeth will continue to show various degrees of wear. The tops of the teeth will show additional loss of sharpness, and the teeth will continue to appear slightly more rounded from side-to-side (as opposed to appearing more flat from side-to-side as seen in younger ages). At age seven there is commonly a separation, from subtle to definitely noticeable, between at least some of the teeth from top to bottom. The roots of the teeth may begin to be visible at the gum line.

Age: Short and Solid After the age of seven some people will continue to estimate a cow's age in years. However, it is not uncommon around this time for a more general description of age to be used. If this is the case, the term "short and solid" might be used after the age of seven years. A cow that is aged as "short and solid" will still have all eight permanent incisor teeth (unless there has been tooth loss due to some other cause except for age). Compared to younger ages the teeth will be shorter, and the tops will be smoother and less sharp. The teeth will continue to show additional rounding from side-to-side, and there is likely to be roots noticeable in the gum line. The term "solid" in the age "short and solid" can refer to at least two things. "Solid" can mean there is no tooth loss, and/or it can mean that there are not any wide gaps between the teeth (although there may be narrower gaps). Exactly what "solid" means (no tooth loss and/or no very large gaps) can vary from region to region, sale barn to sale barn, or person to person.

Age: Broken Mouth The age "broken mouth" is older than the age "short. " Commonly, a broken mouth cow is a cow that has lost one tooth due to age. In some areas, a cow is not a "broken mouth" until she has lost two teeth due to age. NOTE: In the photo below the corner tooth on the left-hand side of the photo was present, but cannot be seen in the photo.

Age: Gummer A "gummer" is often the oldest age description given to a cow. A gummer has lost several teeth due to age, or has worn them down until they are of little or no practical use.