Dentition and Age of Sheep and Cattle.
(From the "New Zealand Farmer."
It appears thab much irritation has been caused amongst British iivo stock exhibitors at the late Smithfiejd Club Show, ovvine to bhe disqualification of some exhibits in accordance with some new regulations as to dentition in relation to age of the animals entered for competition. Some of the best animals in the cattle as well as in the sheep and pig classes wero disqualified under these new rules, and this'was the cause of some energetic protests ab the annual meeting of the Smithfield Club. Some interesting testimony was given to the fact that dentition is not a reliable guide in determining with accuracy the age of cattle, sheep, and pigs. Mr John Treadwell .said he knew positively that the dentition of sheep was not an infallible rule for deciding their age. They found shearling sheep putting up all sorts of mouths—putting four and six teeth np at the same time. If they would do that, what would thoy nob do? With regard to cattle, they saw that the most of the disqualifications were in tho cross-bred classes. This early maturity was gob by fot-cing, and did they think that if they forced meat they would not also force teeth ? In the list of thosa whose cattle had been disqualified, be found the names of gentlemen who wero altogether above suspicion, such sa thoir friend Mr Bruce, for there was no man's honour stood higher than his. In regard to pigs, English judges always liked to sco their teeth, bub they should give the defendant an opportunity of proving his case. Another member stated that he was prepared to prove that somo sheep in the Oxford classes which were nob disqualified were actually older than bhoae which were disqualified. The Earl of Coventry, President of the Club, in summing up tho discussion, assured all present thab the suggestions and complaints which had been lodged would have the best considertion of the Stock Prizes committee and the Council generally. The new rule had nob been hastily adopted by the Council. It was only adopted after much deliberation, and after carefully considering the besb veterinary advice thab the Council could geb. Ib appeared to him, however, that the working of the rulo had nob been satisfactory. He would even go a little further, and- say that perhaps justice had nob been done altogether in many cases ; bub bhe commibtee would give the matter their best consideration, and endeavour as far as possible to remove any cause of complaint that mighb exi~b. Referring to thia matter a Home contemporary observes thab if the executive of the Smith_t.ld Club think the teeth a trustier indication of tho age of an animal than a birth certificate, or what ought to be equally good, the declaration of the breeder, they must be prepared to make the classes accordingly, and, instead of going by years, say 2-tooth class, 4-tooth class, 6-tooth class, or full-toothed class, as the case may be. " Bub (the writer goes on to say) tho thing ii absurd and unworkable. Breeders would not be bound by the vagaries of dentition a single year ; since animals of the same age even will often show months of difference in the tin:e of cutting their teeth ; and it is also perfectly well known that early maturity and early dentition go together. Seeing, then, that there is no regularity in dentition, why base calculations of age on it ? The sooner the Executive recognise and admit that there is no certainty as to age, except in a birth certificate, the bettor ib will bo for the Smithfield Club. And there ought to be no difficulty in instituting a system of birth certificates, if tho declaration of the breeder is not enough. Bub ib is passing strange, if, when a man is prepared to tako oath, and say that his animal, to hia knowledge, was born on such and such dace, somo charlatan is to step in and say, ' That's a story, whether the animal was born on the date you say or not, for its teeth prove it to be aged so and so.' Dentition can never do moro than approximately indicate tho age of an animal, and nothing more should be expected of it."
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Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 54, 6 March 1890, Page 6
Word Count
717Dentition and Age of Sheep and Cattle. Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 54, 6 March 1890, Page 6
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