Determining Age Of Sheep By it’s Teeth

Credits:Biovision-Infonet

To know the age of sheep, you can examine the teeth. Breakdown of the teeth is a very common reason for culling small stock under range management, as poor quality teeth will affect the ability to browse and feed well.

Lambs have 8 temporary teeth that erupt at approximately 2 months of age. They will be replaced by larger and wider permanent teeth between 12 months and 4 years of age. At this point they will have all their teeth. Sheep don’t have top front teeth.

Sheep mouth & teeth

20 Temporary teeth

32 Permanent teeth at maturity

4 pairs of Incisor teeth on lower jaw

Upper incisors missing

Cartilaginous (hard) dental pad on upper jaw

Split upper lip with mobile lips

Age of Sheep (teeth)

Lamb 4 pair of Incisors

1 year middle pair of Incisors

2 years 2^nd pair of permanent Incisors

3 years 3^rd pair of permanent Incisors

4 years 4^th pair of permanent Incisors

5 years all permanent Incisors close together

6 years Incisors begin spreading apart

7-8 years some Incisors broken

10-12 years all Incisors missing