HOW TO TELL THE AGE OF SHEEP.

Patea Mail, Volume 1, Issue 11, 19 May 1875, Page 3

HOW TO TELL THE AGE OF SHEEP.

For telling the age of sheep, the following directions will be found useful. The sheep have thirty two teeth when the month is full. At birth the land) has two teeth in the middle of the lower jaw, just come or coming through, and by the time it is a mouth old it lias eight short, narrow teetli similary situated. At about one year old, or three or lour months later, the two teetli that first appeared are shed, and their places taken by two broad teeth that arc to remain until old age takes them away. Each season two move lamb’s teeth are shed, succeeded by two adult teeth. This goes on until the “ Incisors,” as they are called, arc all gone and larger teeth have taken their places. Dr Handed says, in bis “ Practical Shepherd,” “ the teeth afford the most decisive test there is of old age of a sheep until it Is four years old, though there is sometimes a variation of a number of months or even a year in their development. Highly kept ami rapidly grown sheep acquire their second teeth earlier.” After the sheep has a “ full mouth ” it is not so easy to give the exact ago. After four years the teeth begin to grow long, spread apart, and are more pointed. At about six years the centre incisors of the merino “ begin to diminish in breadth, and lose their fan-like shape and positon. At seven they become long and narrow ” —and this change goes on, until at ten years the incisors generally become loose, and drop out; usually all are gone by twelve or fifteen vears.