Sheep’s teeth, telling age by teeth, normal and abnormal mouth, teeth defects By Dr Clive Dalton Ageing sheep by their teeth Sheep have no top teeth. Instead they have a hard dental pad that their bottom incisors bite against. You can estimate the age of sheep by when the front temporary milk teeth are replaced … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton Aging cattle by their teeth Teeth eruptionThis is what the text book says about the age of teeth eruption although in practice there is enormous variation around these ages: You don’t mouth cattle!Nobody buying cattle ever looks in their mouths like sheep farmer do – for obvious reasons. If they did … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton Aging goats by teeth Looking in a goat’s mouthGoats don’t like dental examinations, so you’ll have to firmly restrain each animal. Here are some tips: Be prepared for surprises Goats with no teeth can still manage to eat if there is plenty of pasture available, as the front teeth only bite … Read more
By Dr Clive Dalton Looking at a cow’s teeth When buying or selling sheep, farmers and stock agents always inspect the animals’ front teeth (incisors) to make sure they can eat pasture effectively. It’s called ‘mouthing’ and standard practice is that sale ewes are ‘guaranteed in mouth and udder’ before the hammer falls. Why don’t we … Read more