128 FITTING SHEEP 



32 teeth altogether, 24 molars or grinders, and, as before 

 said, 8 incisors. 



A sheep's age under one year old is easily distinguished 

 by its teeth, there being a full set of "milk" or "sucking" 

 teeth. At a year old the two central incisors appear. These 

 are much larger and stronger than the milk teeth. 



Many men, both shepherds and others, will tell you a 

 two-year-old sheep does not get his second addition to the 

 permanent incisors before it arrives at two years old. I have 

 almost invariably found that these appear at about 21 months 

 old, and at 30 months the third pair of permanent incisors 

 have come. After sheep have all their incisors, or become 

 "full-mouthed," the age must be determined by other signs, 

 such as: Hollowness of the loin, width of nostril, size of 

 belly, "broken mouth," etc. 



Tagging. 



Tagging, in the shepherd's vernacular, means cutting off 

 the dirty wool or tag-locks sometimes found adhering to the 

 stern of the sheep, especially during the early Spring months, 

 just previous to shearing time. Tagging should be attended 

 to, not at any set or specified time, but just as soon as a 

 sheep is seen to be filthy. To allow a sheep to go in a filthy 

 state when it should be tagged oftentimes is the cause of 

 trouble from maggots. The blow-fly deposits its eggs there 

 and the first thing we know the poor animal is literally alive 

 with maggots, and without prompt attention and treatment 

 there will be a death in the flock to record. 



When tagging a sheep lay it on its side and with a keen 

 pair of shears cut the dirty wool off. Where the manure has 



