HOW TO TELL THE AGE OF SHEEP.

Shannon News, 3 February 1925, Page 4

HOW TO TELL THE AGE OF SHEEP.

For the purpose of determining the age oi a sheep in all instances where there is no knowledge of age earmarks, such as is known on all properties where sheep are regularly bred and a distinct earmark ÜBed for each year, the usual practice is to decide the age by the teeth. Five years is I the age at which sheep become as is usually termed "fullmouthed" that is to say, all the eight teeth are fully | developed and this definition is usual- i ly applied to sheep that have passed their fourth year. Much depends on the constitution of the sheep and the class of country in which it has been reared. Where the land is not of a sandy or gravelly nature, the grasses soft, and there has been no shortage of feed, sheep will hold a "sound fullmouth" for years longer than if they had been depastured on overstocked I hard country.

For the information of the inexperienced so as to enable them to follow up the ages of sheep by their teeth, it must be first understood that the teeth of a lamb, called "suckers." are the counterpart cf the"full-mouth" of a sheep over four years old. At about fourteen months old (some sooner, others later), allowing that average conditions prevail as to feed, the centre two of these "suckers" drop out and are replaced by -.two permanent teeth, which gives rise to the term "two tooth" and indicates that the

sheep is over one and under two years old. Soon after sheep pass two years old the next two teeth disappear, and are replaced by permanent ones and the sheep becomes a "four-tooth." Reaching the three year old stage the third pair of suckers are dropped and ' two more permanent teeth are developed. The sheep is then known as a "six tooth." It is a sure sign at this age, if the centre teeth are ground down and the sharp cutting edge gone, those sheep have suffered in some ways previously mentioned. When sheep are four years old or possibly a little older, the last of the permanent teeth come up and the term "eight tooth" is used. It is when sheep reach this age that many people inadvertently use the term "full mouths,"; which to a certain extent is correct. There is a difference between an "eight tooth" and a full-mouthed one. In the former the two last teeth are not up level with the others, whereas in a few months they are up level, denoting that the sheep is over four years old. How long a sheep retains the eight teeth sound and level wholly depends on whether it is well cared for Many sheep described as "full mouths" will often on close inspection be found to be "faulty," meaning that they may be ground down in the centre or become open and pointed. If either o fthese conditions exist, they have lost their level cutting edge, so essential to their doing well. As they grow older their teeth become more faulty and broken under different conditions. Whenever the teeth are so ground down in. the centre that only the outer ones meet such sheep can be classed as "broken mouths," no matter what their age may be. is the term used for old sheep that have lost all their teeth, or those that have had odd ones they possessed extracted.