Sheep, like cattle, have no incisor teeth on the upper jaw. Like cattle, they have eight incisors on the lower jaw when the mouth has reached full age. The change of the teeth occurs as follows: At birth the lamb has two incisors, followed by two more very soon. At the end of two weeks two more are out, making six incisors in all. At three weeks of age two more have appeared, completing the appearance of the temporary or milk teeth.
The permanent begin to replace the temporary teeth between one and one and a half years. The two central milk teeth are first replaced by two longer and stronger teeth. The lamb is now known as a yearling.
At two years the two teeth adjoining the central incisors are replaced by permanent ones; at three the two adjoining these are replaced, making now six permanent incisors.
Between four and four and a half the last two permanent incisors appear and the sheep then has a full mouth.
Examining Animals for Soundness and Health
In purchasing farm stock, it is a good plan to deal with reputable people only. Leave the horse trader alone. He knows too many tricks, and if you are a stranger to him you can be pretty certain that he will try one on you--just for fun.
Fortunately farmers sell to strangers more frequently than they buy of them, and when they seek new stock they deal largely with breeders, who, like themselves, are farmers and not given to the tricks of low and disreputable methods; nevertheless, every purchaser of stock should be familiar with animal form and able to recognize defects and faults when he sees them. This is as much his business as to breed, raise or feed the stock on his farm.
Know what form you want; draft and speed represent different types, so do dairy and beef. With all classes of farm stock there are a few points that are desirable in all stock. One of these is width between the eyes. No animal of any breed or class possessed of a narrow forehead is at all perfect. A wide forehead is one of the absolute beauties.
These are desirable characters of all farm animals; they represent culture and refinement and good breeding. The purchaser or breeder, therefore, should not only know conformation, but he should know quality.