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Do you know how to tell the age of a goat? |
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The age of a goat can be estimated from its teeth. As with all ruminant animals, goats only have front incisor teeth on the lower jaw and get two sets of teeth during their life.
Knowing how to tell the approximate age of a goat is helpful when you are buying stock as well as selling meat for slaughter or for export as teeth and age are important in classifying animals.
Goats are often referred to as milk tooth, two tooth, four tooth, six tooth or full mouth so the following guide may be useful in determining age.
Milk (kid) teeth: |
From birth up to 13 to 15 months. |
2- tooth: |
Two permanent central teeth showing. These erupt from 13 to 15 months. |
4-tooth: |
Four permanent teeth showing. These erupt from 18 to 21 months. |
6-tooth: |
Six permanent teeth showing. These erupt from 22 to 24 months of age. |
Full mouth: |
Eight permanent teeth showing. These erupt from 27 to 32 months of age |
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