Studies of the dentition of sheep. 3. A study of the effects of vitamin D and phosphorus deficiencies in the young animal on the productivity, dentition and skeleton of Scottish Black-face ewes.

SUMMARY Scottish Blackface ewe hoggs were fed between the ages of 6 and 12 months on diets providing adequate or inadequate levels of phosphorus and, or, vitamin D. Results of certain radiographic and chemical studies on these animals are presented. Singly, or in combination, the provision of adequate phosphorus and vitamin D in their diets had, in general, beneficial effects on the weight records and mineralisation of the skeleton of the animals. The moderate degrees of deficiencies of phosphorus and vitamin D produced in this study had no gross effects on either the development or the loss of the permanent incisors, but the numbers remaining at the end of the experiment were too small to permit the conclusion that there were no effects.