Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-01-22
farm ano 6ousebol6.
To Tell the Age of Sheep.

THE age of sheep, like that of the other
domestic animals, may be determined from
the change and condition of the teeth.
This is certain up to the sixth year inclu-
sively, and tolerably sure after this age.
The sheep, like the OK, has eight incisors,
which are all situated in the lower jaw, as
in all zuminating animals The visible
part Of the teeth which projects above the
gums is called the crown. AT Its lower
end, the crown becomes thinner and is en-
veloped in the gum. This part is called
the neck. The lower end OF the tooth,
which tapers 10 point and is situated in
the socket, is called the root. All the
teeth are placed loosely in the sockets and
admit of more or less motion. The two
middle teeth are called the tongs or gath
erers; the two on each side, the inner mid
die teeth; and the next on each side, the
outer middle teeth. The two external ones
are called the corner teeth.
In newborn lambs the two gatherers
are just visible above the gums; after six
or eight days, the two inner middle teeth,
and after four or six days more the two
outer middle teeth make their appearance.
Six or eight days later the two corner
teeth may be seen; so that in three weeks
after birth the sheep has its full compile.
ment of incisors These teeth, called
milk teeth, become longer and broader
and reach their full development at the
end of the first year. Their upper edge
or edge of the crown, is somewhat
pointed.
The milk teeth remain from eighteen tC
twenty months, and then fall out, and are
replaced by permanent teeth in the same
order in which they appeared. The per
manent teeth differ from the milk-teeth by
the fact that the upper edge is not pointed
but straight and dull. They are also
stronger and broader than the milk.teeth
and no longer milk-white, but yellowish
When the sheep Is eighteen or twenty
months old, the milk teeth fall out and are
replaced by two permanent teeth. The
animal is then called two-toothed.
When the sheep is three and hall
years old, the two outer middle teeth fall
out and are replaced by two permanent
teeth.
When the sheep is four and half years
old, the two corner teeth fall out and are
replaced by two permanent teeth; and
now all have changed. The animal is
then called eight-toothed
In the sixth year the incisors undergo
different changes, from which the age OF
the sheep can be discovered with tolera-
BILE degree of certainty. The edges OF
the crown gradually become nicked and
dented, until they wear down almost to
the root. This takes place in the same
order as the changes of the teeth. In the
seventh year both tongs or gatherers be-
come notched at the edge of the crown
and in the eighth the nearest two become
notched, although more distant one may
change instead, and the notches of the
gatherers become deeper, In the ninth
year the crowns of the gatherers and the
inner middle teeth are indented very
deeply, and the other teeth also begin tc
show notches In the tenth and twelfth
/ years the crowns of all incisors are broker
and worn, so that nothing but the roots
remain.
Under certain. circumstances, produced
by diseases, food, ETC., the wearing out o
the teeth sometimes varies considerably
from the above order Some sheep Loss
the crowns Of their teeth in the sixth ant
seventh years, while others retain then
unchanged until the eighth or tenth year
or even longer. Yigor of health ant
body preserve the teeth.-Diseases Q
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