HOW OLD IS THE COW?

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 282, 28 November 1929, Page 31

HOW OLD IS THE COW?

When a cow is over five years old her age can only be roughly guessed from the condition of the teeth (incisors) and the rings on the horns (says the "Livestock Journal"). But in the case of polled and dishorned stock there is only the teeth and the general appearance of the animals to indicate the age. A horned cow will be found to have a ring on her horns representing the birth of a calf yearly, and two years must generally be added to the number of rings because heifers are generally from two to two and a half or three years old at the birth of their first calf. Thus a cow with four rings on her horns may be reckoned as six or seven years old,

But" the condition of the teeth in ■eality determines the potential life service of the cow. The cow's molars nay or may not be quite serviceable, Dut if her incisors are worn short, or Droken, she may be accepted as ageing. Some cows have really good teeth at ten and twelve years old, but usually the teeth begin to show signs of wear it six or seven years old. It depends a great deal upon the character of the soil, the crops, and the general feeding of the cows. On short, closely-gnawed pastures, especially on stony ground, the teeth of grazing cows wear fast. Fed on whole turnips, in a stone or concrete trough, having a rough, uneven bottom, the cow's teeth wear down faster than when she is fed on sliced turnips. The feeding of treacle and soft mashes hastens the decay of the teeth. The quality of the drinking water also affects the wearing qualities of the teeth.

Only the best milkers are, of course, retained till their teeth wear short. Occasionally a superior milch cow will be found with but a few rusty stumps where white ivories once were. Many an aged cow is reluctantly parted with, if she has been both superior at the pail and at the production of young stock. Many a good cow will well maintain her milk yield beyond twelve years old, but as a general rule cows are at their best after the birth of their third or fourth calf, say five or six years old, and when they arrive at the age of nine years their m'ilk .yield generally falls off gradually.'lndifferent milkers are generally got rid of before they are five years old. Thus, if a buyer is in quest of a good cow at a market he is generally quite safe to buy a cow over six years, provided she is' healthy, correct in the teats, and has fairly good teeth. But don't pay a stiff price for a cow that is past her prime.