A radiographic study of rostral tooth development in young Friesian cattle.

Twenty-nine British Friesian cattle fed the same diet, slaughtered at various weights and including bulls, steers (castrated males) and females (heifers) were examined. The stage of their rostral tooth development was recorded both visually and radiographically. Insufficient animals were present in each sex and slaughter weight treatment group to allow any comparison between them. When the data for each sex were compared, no statistically significant differences were seen between the mean ages at which bulls, steers and heifers attained each stage of dental development as determined from their radiographs. The results for all 29 cattle were then combined. This combined data showed a relationship between age and those stages of tooth formation which could be differentiated by examination of the X-ray films. As most phases of tooth formation occurred within well defined limits, it is suggested that radiographs of rostral tooth development might be used to estimate the age of cattle.