Appearance of antler pedicles in early foetal life in red deer

Development ◽  
1973 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 431-437
Author(s):  
G. A. Lincoln
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Adrenal Glands ◽  
Testosterone Secretion ◽  
Foetal Life ◽  
Precocious Development

The primordial antler pedicles of red deer show a transitory enlargement in early foetal life in the male while no similar change occurs in the female. Observations on the growth rate of the reproductive tract, pituitary and adrenal glands and the content of testosterone in the gonads, indicate that the precocious development of the pedicles occurs during a phase of increased testicular activity and probably reflects a surge in testosterone secretion following sexual differentation.

scholarly journals Genetics of heifer puberty in two tropical beef genotypes in northern Australia and associations with heifer- and steer-production traits

2009 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 399 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. Johnston ◽  
S. A. Barwick ◽  
N. J. Corbet ◽  
G. Fordyce ◽  
R. G. Holroyd ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Production Traits ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Marbling Score ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Age At Puberty

A total of 2115 heifers from two tropical genotypes (1007 Brahman and 1108 Tropical Composite) raised in four locations in northern Australia were ovarian-scanned every 4–6 weeks to determine the age at the first-observed corpus luteum (CL) and this was used to define the age at puberty for each heifer. Other traits recorded at each time of ovarian scanning were liveweight, fat depths and body condition score. Reproductive tract size was measured close to the start of the first joining period. Results showed significant effects of location and birth month on the age at first CL and associated puberty traits. Genotypes did not differ significantly for the age or weight at first CL; however, Brahman were fatter at first CL and had a small reproductive tract size compared with that of Tropical Composite. Genetic analyses estimated the age at first CL to be moderately to highly heritable for Brahman (0.57) and Tropical Composite (0.52). The associated traits were also moderately heritable, except for reproductive tract size in Brahmans (0.03) and for Tropical Composite, the presence of an observed CL on the scanning day closest to the start of joining (0.07). Genetic correlations among puberty traits were mostly moderate to high and generally larger in magnitude for Brahman than for Tropical Composite. Genetic correlations between the age at CL and heifer- and steer-production traits showed important genotype differences. For Tropical Composite, the age at CL was negatively correlated with the heifer growth rate in their first postweaning wet season (–0.40) and carcass marbling score (–0.49), but was positively correlated with carcass P8 fat depth (0.43). For Brahman, the age at CL was moderately negatively genetically correlated with heifer measures of bodyweight, fatness, body condition score and IGF-I, in both their first postweaning wet and second dry seasons, but was positively correlated with the dry-season growth rate. For Brahman, genetic correlations between the age at CL and steer traits showed possible antagonisms with feedlot residual feed intake (–0.60) and meat colour (0.73). Selection can be used to change the heifer age at puberty in both genotypes, with few major antagonisms with steer- and heifer-production traits.

Photoperiodic requirements for rapid growth in young male red deer

1998 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Webster ◽  
I. D. Corson ◽  
R. P. Littlejohn ◽  
S. K. Stuart ◽  
J. M. Suttie
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Rapid Growth ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Young Male ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Reproductive Development ◽  
The Other ◽  
Plasma Prolactin ◽  
Lower Amplitude

AbstractWinter growth of young male red deer can be increased by exposure to 16 h of light (L) and 8 h of dark (D) per day (16L: 8D). This study tested the duration of photoperiod required for this growth response, determined if the time to reach slaughter weight can be reduced and monitored plasma IGF-1, prolactin and reproductive development. Fifty male calves were allocated to five equal groups. Four groups were housed indoors and for 33 weeks from the winter solstice (22 June, southern hemisphere) until 11 February were placed under either 16L: 8D (16L), 13·25L: 10·75D (13L), 10·751:13·25D (111) or 8L: 16D (8L) photoperiods. The fifth group of deer (OC) remained outside in a gravelled enclosure. All groups were given a pelleted diet ad libitum. Group food intake was recorded daily, individual live weight was measured weekly and testes diameter and blood samples taken at weekly or 2-week intervals.Plasma prolactin concentrations in 16L increased within 4 weeks of treatment and were different (P < 0·001) between groups from 14 August to 4 September. IGF-1 increased in both 16L and 13L 4 weeks after treatments and then increased further in 16L above that of 13L (P < 0·01). All groups grew at the same rate for the first 7 weeks. 16L then gained more weight (P < 0·001) than the other groups over the next 19 weeks (50·7 kg v. 38·5 for 13L, 35·7 for 11L, 37·0 for 8L and 37·4 for OC; s.e.d. 3·76). Food intake was positively related to growth rate in a similar way among the inside groups (P < 0·001), however there was a higher energy requirement outdoors (P < 0·05). A target live weight for slaughter of 95 kg was reached 7 weeks earlier for 16L than the other groups (P < 0·01). Testes diameter of 16L was larger than in the other groups from 13 November until 24 December (P < 0·001). The growth oflSL slowed from 1 January while that of OC increased and the live weight ofOC was equal to 16L by the end of the experiment. OC also had the largest testes diameter from 5 February onwards (P < 0·01). The live-weight increase in OC was associated with increases in both prolactin and IGF-1 levels.This study confirmed that 16L: 8D stimulates rapid growth of young male red deer during winter for sufficient time to achieve an earlier slaughter date. The live-weight advantage was lost by late summer however. The increased growth rate was mediated by food intake and associated with increases in IGF-1 and prolactin and earlier reproductive development. Photoperiods of 13 h of light per day or less did not stimulate growth and increases in IGF-1 and prolactin were of a lower amplitude than under 16L: 8D.

The effect of housing and food restriction during winter on growth of male red deer calves

1997 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 171-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Webster ◽  
I. D. Corson ◽  
J. M. Suttie
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Food Intake ◽  
Energy Expenditure ◽  
Food Restriction ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Normal Growth ◽  
Cold Weather ◽  
Ad Libitum

AbstractLow winter growth is a characteristic of male red deer and is caused, in part by a combination of reduced appetite and higher energy expenditure due to cold weather. This study aimed to determine whether housing during winter would reduce energy expenditure and increase the growth rate of male red deer calves. An additional aim was to investigate whether food restriction in winter would be compensated for by increased spring growth. In each of two consecutive years, 80 calves were randomly allocated to eight groups (no. = 10) comprising two replicates of four treatments during winter. Groups were housed inside (I) or outside (O) and given food either ad libitum (AL) or restricted (R) to maintain live weight. Winter treatments (southern hemisphere) ran from 22 May to 25 August (year 1) and from 5 June to 5 September (year 2). During these periods, animals were weighed weekly and group food intake recorded daily. At the end of winter animals were moved outside onto pasture and weighed monthly until the end of spring (27 November, year 1 and 7 December, year 2). In year 2 weighing continued during summer, until 4 April. The animals were slaughtered on 28 November and 18 January (year 1) and 5 April (year 2). The effect of housing on live-weight gain (LWG) and dry-matter intake (DM1) in AL groups was not significant in either year. However in R groups, O had a higher DMI than I in both years (P < 0·05) and a higher LWG than I in year 1 (P < 0·05). LWG was loiver in R than in AL groups in winter in year 1 (P < 0·05) and year 2 (P < 0·001) and live weight was lower in R than in AL groups at the end of winter in both years. Live weight was still lower in R than in AL groups at the end of spring in both years (P < 0·01). In year 2, this live-weight difference was not significant by the end of summer. Hot carcass weight (HCW) was greater in AL animals than R animals (P < 0·05) and dressing proportion was higher in R than in AL (P < 0·05) in year 1. GR (an index of body fatness) was greater (P < 0·05) in O than I in year 1 and was greater (P < 0·05) in AL than in R animals in year 2. Differences in GR between treatments were not significant in either year, with HCW as a covariate.In conclusion, housing calves given food ad libitum during winter did not reduce DMI or increase growth rate. When normal growth rates were prevented by restricting food intake, housing lowered DMI requirement, although such a situation is unlikely to be a useful farm management practice as recovery from the growth check was slow. Annual variations in climate may determine both the food savings made by housing and the extent of compensatory growth of food-restricted animals in spring.

Silage and hay intakes of housed red deer calves

1990 ◽  
Vol 1990 ◽  
pp. 77-77
Author(s):  
D J Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Seasonal Variations ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Slow Growth ◽  
Red Meat ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Low Fat ◽  
Slow Growth Rate ◽  
Quality Diet ◽  
Ad Libitum

There is an increasing interest in deer farming as an alternative livestock enterprise. One of the main reasons for this is that, currently, demand for venison (a low fat, red meat) is much greater than supply. However a major limiting factor to venison production is the slow growth rate of deer during the winter months. This is a consequence of their low feed intakes over this period. The aim of this study was to monitor feed intakes of housed, commercially-farmed red deer calves on a ‘good quality’ diet over the winter months to observe seasonal variations in appetite.One hundred and fifty four red deer calves (mainly June born) were observed in this study. There were four pens of stags containing 25, 23, 22 and 13 animals per pen, and three pens of hinds with 25, 25 and 21 animals per pen. All animals were offered forage ad-libitum plus 1.36 kg/d of a home-mix ration (12.9 MJ ME/kg DM, I62g CP/kg DM). One group of hinds was offered hay as the forage whilst the others all received silage.

Pre-weaning growth of red deer calves is not determined by ability of hinds to produce milk

2012 ◽  
Vol 52 (7) ◽  
pp. 507
Author(s):  
G. K. Barrell ◽  
M. Wellby ◽  
M. J. Ridgway ◽  
G. W. Asher ◽  
J. A. Archer
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Plasma Insulin ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Body Condition Score ◽  
The Other ◽  
Calf Growth ◽  
Condition Score ◽  
Bovine Somatotrophin

Three experiments were carried out to determine whether growth of suckling red deer calves is determined by the potential of their mothers to produce milk. In the first experiment red deer hinds (n = 10, calves 6 weeks old) were treated either with bovine somatotrophin (bST, 54 mg s.c. injected every 2 weeks for 8 weeks then 108 mg every 2 weeks for a further 8 weeks) or saline. There was no effect of bST treatment on calf or hind liveweight, calf liveweight gain or body condition score of hinds. The second experiment used red and red-wapiti crossbred deer calves (n = 8–11) suckled by red deer dams that had been treated with bST or had received excipient only for 12 weeks from when the calves were 5 weeks old. Calf liveweight was affected by genotype (wapiti-red crossbreds were heavier than their red counterparts) but there was no effect of bST treatment of the hinds on calf growth in either of the genotypes. Although bST treatment of the suckled hinds elevated their plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 concentration it had no effect on milk yield. A third experiment ruled out the possibility that bST ingested by calves in milk from treated hinds would have had any influence on growth of calves in the other experiments. From these results it is concluded that the inherent demand from suckling calves, rather than the ability of adequately nourished hinds to produce milk, determines growth rate of red deer calves from birth to weaning.

Antler growth rate in yearling Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus)

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 753-755 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Gaspar-López ◽  
T. Landete-Castillejos ◽  
L. Gallego ◽  
A. J. García
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Cervus Elaphus Hispanicus ◽  
Iberian Red Deer ◽  
Antler Growth

Changes in Live Weight and the Reproductive Tract of Farmed Red Deer Stags from 6 to 27 Months of Age

1992 ◽  
pp. 338-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Webster ◽  
James M. Suttie ◽  
Barry A. Veenvliet ◽  
Ian D. Corson ◽  
Robert E. Labes
Keyword(s):  
Red Deer ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Live Weight

Effect of two growth rates and two forage diets over winter on the performance of red deer stag calves

1990 ◽  
Vol 1990 ◽  
pp. 76-76
Author(s):  
M.H. Davies ◽  
E.M. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Upland Conditions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Forage Diets

Scottish red deer research has defined under hill and upland conditions the relationship that exists between the winter growth rate of stag calves and their performance at grass the following summer (Adam, 1986; Blaxter et al, 1988). With the increasing movement of stag calves to the lowlands of England and Wales, and an expansion in finishing units in these areas, such a relationship needs re-defining to take account of the differences in climate, length of growing season and grass supply. This trial investigates the effect of two growth rates over winter on the overall performance of stag calves, both on hay and silage based rations, under lowland conditions.Forty red deer stag calves approximately 4 months of age and weighing 40 kg liveweight were purchased from Scotland in September 1988. They were housed in one group and fed a common ration of ad libitum hay + 1 kg of a proprietary 18% CP compound per head per day from arrival on 26 September until 9 November 1988.

Alpine landscape and canopy cover from 1973 to 2011: are roe and red deer population dynamics linked?

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Chirichella ◽  
Andrea Mustoni ◽  
Marco Apollonio
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Roe Deer ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Eastern Alps ◽  
Deer Population ◽  
Abundance Indices

Context Land-use change may represent a major driver for wildlife population trends in most ecosystems all over the world. In addition to land abandonment and forest management transformation in remote areas of developed countries, such as the European mountains, the intensification of human activities has, by and large, affected the settlement opportunities for wildlife species. Aims What changes occurred in the structure and extent of land use between 1973 and 2011 in the Central Eastern Alps, Italy? Are the abundance indices of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) driven by these landscape transformations? Is there any relationship between the increase in red deer and the decrease in roe deer abundance? Methods The study was conducted in a 1335-km2 area (Central Eastern Alps, Italy). Through GIS photo interpretation techniques and patch analysis tools, we determined land-use changes between 1973 and 2011. Correlations between environmental modifications and climatic conditions, as well as between roe and red deer abundance indices (i.e. catch per unit effort (CPUE) and hunting bag data, respectively) were investigated for the 1973–2011 period by implementing linear mixed models. Key results The metrics thus calculated revealed a homogenisation of the woodland area and a general landscape simplification. By examining the effects of the climatic factors supposedly affecting population growth rate, roe and red deer trends seemed to be driven also by land-use evolution. Indeed, in the 1973–2011 period a negative trend in the availability of open areas below the tree line (–4.6%) and of agricultural zones (–1.9%) seemed to disfavour roe deer, while a fast increase in woodlands (+7.8%), scrublands (+3.3%) and canopy cover (+7.9%) was reported to be concomitant to red deer range expansion and density increase. Moreover, red deer growth rate impacted on roe deer population dynamics. Conclusions and implications Given the ongoing land-use changes, their effect on roe and red deer population trends and the competition issue between them, these results may help managers to apply an effective adaptive-management planning technique for target locations to keep the ecosystem balanced.

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