Isabel Richards, Veterinary Science – South Africa and owner/operator of Gibraltar Farm
(Previously published with the Eastern Alliance for Production Katahdins (EAPK): June 26, 2025)
(Image Source: Isabel Richards)
Unfortunately, defects show up in some of our animals and even though those animals might be exceptional in other areas, for the betterment of the breed we should not propagate these defects. Always check your animals before keeping them as replacements or selling them as breeding stock.
Bite
In lambs the bottom teeth should “bite” into the dental pad. They should not extend in front of it (monkey mouth, undershot), nor be too far backwards (parrot mouth, overshot). If a bite is VERY off you can easily see that the bottom jaw is markedly longer or shorter than normal at a distance, however sheep that look normal from the outside can hide some abnormalities that you can only see by looking inside their mouths. It can get tedious to visually check a large number of lambs, so you can pre-screen by running your finger along the teeth, the tips of the teeth and the dental pad should feel level with each other. If it feels “wrong” you can do a visual inspection. Older animals can develop this as their teeth get longer when they age, but you definitely do not want to see this in lambs. Continue reading…