A note on the effect of Broken Mouth on the performance of Scottish Blackface hill ewes

Abstract

SUMMARY On a hill farm, 376 Scottish Blackface ewes with all permanent incisor teeth present (whole mouth) at 53 months of age were compared with 118 ewes having one or more of these teeth missing (broken mouth). By 46 months, ewes becoming or already broken-mouthed were significantly lighter in weight and although at their third lambing they gave birth to the same number and weights of lambs as whole-mouthed ewes, their twin lambs were significantly lighter in weight from about three weeks of age onward. At their fourth lambing, broken-mouthed ewes produced and reared significantly fewer lambs and of lighter weight than their whole-mouthed contemporaries. Grazing of turnips increased the incidence of ewes with broken mouths.