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AGEING OF DAIRY ANIMALS USING DENTATION/05 MAY 2023

From
Name Reg # Signature
Solomon mkandawire 220101213
Idrissah maulana 220101211
Veronica kapito 220101199

DAIRY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Submitted
To
Mr chiphwanya

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY DAIRY ANIMALS

DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE
LILONGWE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
DENTATION OF DAIRY ANIMALLS
The ageing of cow s using dentation is a widely accepted method in veterinary medicine that
involves examining the teeth of the cow to determine its age. This method involves inspecting
the cow's teeth for example pre-molars, molars incisors, and canine and examining any changes
in their structure, color, and wear. there are many methods of ageing cows, dentation provides a
reliable and accurate way of determining age. Specifically, the study of the eruption, wear and
loss of teeth in cows is used to provide an estimate of their age. In general, cows have two sets of
teeth a milk set (temporary or deciduous) and a permanent set. By looking at the cow's teeth, we
can determine its age based on the number of permanent teeth growth and their wear.

The process of ageing cows using dentation begins with a visual inspection of the cow's teeth.
This inspection is done to determine whether the cow has a full set of teeth or whether they have
been lost. The presence of milk teeth and their replacement by permanent teeth is crucial in
determining the exact age of the cow. Subsequently, the teeth replacement skills are color being
whitish for baby teeth and being pale or yellowish for permanent teeth and shape for triangular
baby teeth and while rectangular permanent teeth, for an animal of one year of age has 20 teeth
while an adult has 32 teeth so when estimating teeth a veterinarian has to note that a bovine has
central pair ( I1), intermediate pair (I2), second intermediate (I3), intermediate (I4) and eruption
occurs in pairs from and erupt from centers to corners for I1 it means it is one under half to two
years,I2 it means two under half to three years,I3 it means three under half to four years,I4 it
means four under half to five years thus the first principle used for teeth dentation in dairy
animals known as pattern of eruption.

Another principle is the use of the dental star the enamel, pupil cavity and the dentine which
darkish or grayish in color when it starts wear and tear it indicates black hole in the incisors teeth
although its not a method which is used frequently as compared to pattern of eruption but dental
star it shows this at I1 to I2 ten to twelve years and I3 to I4 it shows thirteen to fourteen years

Finally, there are numerous texts and references on cow dentation used in veterinary medicine.
For instance, one readily used dentition chart used to estimate the age of cow involves examining
teeth eruption and observing the patterns and wear of the upper and lower jaw incisors. The chart
six distinct stages that help identify the age of the cow; from the eruption of the first molars at 1,
to the loss of the first permanent incisors at 20 years old. The chart has been used in several
studies such as, Rutter et al. (2013), and Marco-Ramell et al. (2015), who demonstrated that cow
dentation is a reliable and accurate method for estimating cow age.

In conclusion, the use of dentation in estimating cow age is useful in breeding, culling, and
ensuring proper feeding and nutritional management. Therefore, this method is essential for the
welfare, productivity, and profitability of dairy farming.
References

Baker, B. L. (2019). Cattle Dentition: Understanding and Ageing Cattle. Objective, 7(1), 1-6.

Cloete, J. J., & Hoffman, L. C. (2012). Factors affecting beef cattle production in the communal
areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. South African Journal of Animal Science,
42(3), 231-247.

Madureira, E. H., Pereira, J.C.C., & Fernandes, P. R. (2004). Dentition as an aging method in
domestic cattle (Bos taurus). Archivos de Zootecnia, 53(202), 367-374.

Schoeman, S. J. (1994). Age estimation in cattle: a review. Journal of the South African
Veterinary Association, 65(4), 169-174.