How old is a smooth mouth cow

Author: John M Harper. Comments: 0. No Comments Posted. Share Print. Recent Posts Blog Home. Archives All Archives. Tags All Tags. Recent Posts. Tech Opening September 22, Ryan F. Sort off all broken-mouth cows, and put them in a trap or pasture by themselves.

A large-animal practitioner who had tremendous experience with old cows once told me that a cow is in the broken-mouth stage for six to 12 months … never less, never more … before she goes into the smooth-mouth stage. These cows will need extra attention and maybe even a little alfalfa. Next year, a new set of broken-mouth cows go in this pasture, and the ones leaving can go with the rest of the cows.

Cattle graze new growth and regrowth. I have taken more grass samples over the last 20 years than anyone I know of. I take them with my thumb and index finger and with a sideways motion, tear the grass. In the fall, cull cows for body condition. From 6 years old and on, age is determined by tooth wear, separation between teeth or disappearance of teeth. The degree of wear on All the grazing management tips you need Subscribe for FREE to read this article and over 2, more!

If you're already a subscriber, log in here. The Next Level of Dedication. Short and solid means there is significant amount of wear to the cow's incisors but they are all still present and solidly attached to the mandible. Broken-mouthed indicates a cow is missing one of the incisor teeth. The smooth-mouthed description indicates the cow has lost or completely worn down most if not all of her teeth.

Worn teeth may still be present but worn down to the gumline, hence the term gummer. In summary, cow dentition can be used to estimate a cow's age, but more importantly it can be used to determine if she is capable of biting and chewing forage efficiently for another year of life on the ranch. If a cow does not have the dentition to efficiently harvest forage, she will have a difficult time maintaining body condition.

Cows that have missing or extremely worn teeth are candidates to leave the breeding herd and be replaced by younger females. Robert Wells, Ph.