JUDGING THE AGE OF CATTLE (From Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, February 28.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 4 March 1908, Page 22

JUDGING THE AGE OF CATTLE (From Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, February 28.

For some considerable time the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association, has been engaged in a curious investigation. The point sought, after is a method ov determining the age of cattle the teeth of which apparently proved them older than the.ir owners certified them to be. The question arose out of a protest in connection with the last show, Mr A. T. Close lodging a protest against prizes awarded to cattle shown by Mr Jas. Taylor on the. ground that the animals were over age. The association searched scores of publications and consulted veterinary surgeons, wrote -to the other societys, and heard the evidence of a number of breeders. The evidence tended to show that under certain conditions of feed and climate cattle developed teeth more speedily than under other conditions; therefore, a cow with eight teeth up was not necessarily over three years and four month old. It has ultimately been decided by the Executive Committee of the association that the evidence collected with regard to the dentition of stock showed so conclusively that it was no uncommon thing for cattle at fchree years and four months to have put up eight teeth, that the committee could not do otherwise than sustain the original decision of he ju^-e, and award the prize to Mr J. Taylor's stock. The committee nlso agreed to recommend the incoming committee to have regulations drafted with reference to the dentition of stock on similar lines to those adopted at the 1 Chicago International Show, which specify I that at 36 months three pairs of broad teeth should be fully up «nd in wear, and ] the corner milk teeth may be shed, or ( «heding, with the corner permanent teeth just appearing through the gums, and that at 39 months three pairs of broad j teeth will be fully up and in wear, and j the corner teeth (incisors) through the ; gums, but not in wear.