Author Topic: parrot jaw (Read 2616 times)

Fleecewife · « **on:** August 10, 2011, 01:39:23 am »

We have been lucky so far and had no deformities in our lambs, but we just noticed that a ram lamb who was failing to thrive has a parrot jaw - ie the lower jaw is seriously undershot, at least an inch shorter than the top jaw. Has anyone seen this? The dilema is - will he ever grow big enough to go in the freezer or should we call the knacker now?

NLL · « **Reply #1 on:** August 10, 2011, 08:26:11 am »

I think its fine that way round as the lower jaw still hits the palate, we had one last year the other way round where the lower jaw extended beyond the upper jaw.She had to be put to sleep.

jaykay · « **Reply #2 on:** August 10, 2011, 09:35:09 am »

We had one like this in the past too. He perhaps didn't grow quite as fast as the others but he got to butchers weight - from recollection perhaps as fast as the third triplet which we also had to hold into for a bit longer.

Corrie Dhu · « **Reply #3 on:** August 10, 2011, 09:42:44 am »

If he is failing to thrive now, the chances are he is not going to do.

Dougal · « **Reply #4 on:** August 10, 2011, 02:21:20 pm »

It's caused by a genetic reccesive disorder, often see it in blackface and cheviots. It affects both sexes in equal proportion. Not so common in the more improved low ground breeds. Try not to breed from the beast if you can for then it gets past on into the next generations to show again. The lamb won't 'do' as well as some of the others but it shouldn't be fatal unless it's kept on very short grass alone. I'd be looking to fatten it with a bit of corn for there will be nothing wrong with its molars so it can still cud so long as it can food into itself. Might take a wee bit longer to fatten but better that than a dead loss.

jaykay · « **Reply #5 on:** August 10, 2011, 03:06:26 pm »

That's interesting Dougal. I had it in a Rough Fell but from a ewe with very low, wide horns whom i always suspected had a bit of Blackface in her.
Remembering more, I had to bottle feed ours because he didn't suck well and his mum didn't like him after a bit. He seemed to be able to eat grass (ours is far from short or sweet

)

Fleecewife · « **Reply #6 on:** August 10, 2011, 04:57:38 pm »

Thank you every one - that's encouraging. We'll give him the chance and monitor closely. Coming off his dam at the weekend (wondering if she had stopped feeding him early) and no chance of breeding from him. We have plenty of grass and he can have hay too. He's from a bought-in Hebridean ewe but I've not heard that the flock she came from has a known problem and we have never had it here before. All part of the learning curve

I'll let you know how he does

SallyintNorth · « **Reply #7 on:** August 10, 2011, 09:45:27 pm »

Good to see you FW.

Swaledales can get overshot lower jaws, Blue-faced Leicesters too, but I had not been not aware of undershot jaws being a problem. It makes sense he could eat hay ok, provided his molars line up at least for some of the way!