400 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



Sheep judging is a very different proposition from the judging 

 of other classes of live stock, in that the hands and not the eyes must 

 be depended upon, thus necessitating a different method of examina- 

 tion. It is all the more important, then, that a definite plan of pro- 

 cedure be adopted in order that no part be overlooked and that no 

 defect escape notice. Notice should be taken of the manner 

 in which a judge should handle a part, that when examining it, he 

 holds his hands flat with the fingers together in a sloping manner. 

 In this way it is possible to feel the form of the sheep without dis- 

 turbing or breaking the fleece. Sticking the fingers into the fleece 

 makes holes in it, which gives access to rain and dirt, detracts from 

 its appearance, and greatly annoys the shepherd. The examination 

 should be begun at the head and continued over the whole body. 



Age and Weight 8 per cent. The lamb age is the most de- 

 sirable age for butcher sheep due to the fact that it is the most profit- 

 able for the producer and is in greatest demand by the consumer. 

 About 80 per cent of all sheep marketed are lambs. Sheep pass from 

 the lamb state just after they are a year old. 



The age of a sheep is best estimated by the order of the ap- 

 pearance of the front teeth, called "nippers" or incisors. Sheep 

 have eight permanent incisors in the lower jaw, having none in the 

 upper. By permanent teeth we mean those that replace the baby, 

 temporary, or milk teeth. The milk teeth can easily be distin- 

 guished from the permanent ones in that they are narrow, while the 

 permanent incisors are broad and wide, widening out considerably 

 toward the top. The permanent teeth take the place of the tem- 

 porary in regular order by pairs as the sheep grows older. The first 

 pair consisting of the two front teeth, one either side of the me- 

 dium line of the jaw supplants the milk teeth when the sheep is 

 slightly over one year old. The next pair, that is, one on each side 

 of the central or first pair, appears one year later or when the sheep 

 is two years old ; the third pair appears when the sheep is a little over 

 three years or between the ages of two and three; and the fourth 

 pair, when the sheep is between four and five years old. Every judge 

 should familiarize himself with the age of an animal as determined 

 by its teeth, so that he will be better able to pass on other parts more 

 or less dependent on age. 



To estimate the age, observe the teeth by holding the sheep with 

 the hand under the jaw and pressing down the lower lip with the 

 thumb and forefinger. 



Lambs weighing about 80 pounds, in prime quality and con- 

 dition, sell at the highest prices on the market. They should reach 

 this weight at as early an age as possible. Mature wethers should 

 weigh 140 pounds or more. Weight varies depending on various 

 conditions, but is principally influenced by age, breed, and degree 

 of fatness. Plenty of weight is desired to insure healthy, vigorous, 

 and early maturing qualities, but too great weight is objectionable, 

 in that it is likely to be associated with coarseness, and low dressing 

 percentage, and also giving too large cuts for the retail meat trade. 



