Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T04:26:52.543Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of winter feeding level on the performance of red deer calves (Cervus elaphus)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. Brelurut ,
M. Theriez  and
G. Bechet
A. Brelurut
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Adaptation des Herbivores aux Milieux, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 63122 Saint Genès, Champanelle, France
M. Theriez
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Adaptation des Herbivores aux Milieux, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 63122 Saint Genès, Champanelle, France
G. Bechet
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Adaptation des Herbivores aux Milieux, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, 63122 Saint Genès, Champanelle, France
Get access

Abstract

The aim of this trial was to determine the effects of a high winter feeding level on the performance of red deer calves from weaning to 15 months of age.

Two groups of 10 calves in each group were fed indoors from weaning to turn-out on good quality hay ad libitum. They received concentrates for 197 days, the first group (treatment H) ad libitum, and the second (treatment L) a daily quantity of 616 g dry matter (DM). At turn-out the two lots were grouped together for 149 days on natural pastures containing grass species characteristic of the area.

During the indoor period, treatment H calves consumed 2·5 times more concentrate than those in treatment L (272 v. 110 kg DM) and 2·8 times less hay (48 v. 234 kg DM). They weighed 19·6 kg more at turn-out (88·9 v. 69·3 kg). The difference in weight decreased to 8·8 kg at 15 months of age, but varied according to sex. This reduction of the weight gap between groups was due to the better adaptation of treatment L to pasture and to compensatory growth resulting from a higher grass intake after turn-out.

It is concluded that despite the good performance of treatment H animals in winter, a high energy level of feeding is only advantageous in certain cases. It is of benefit to animals that are to be slaughtered at 1 year of age and to lateborn calves, and can improve the frame development of females in their first breeding season.

Keywords

food intakegrowthred deer
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 60 , Issue 1 , February 1995 , pp. 151 - 156
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adam, C. L. and Moir, C. E. 1985. Effect of winter nutrition of young farmed red deer on their subsequent growth at pasture. Animal Production 40: 135–141.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Kay, R. N. B., Sharman, G. A. M., Cunningham, J. M. M., Eadie, J. and Hamilton, W. J. 1988. Farming the red deer. The second report of an investigation by the Rowett Research Institute and the Hill Farming Research Organisation. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Brelurut, A. 1991. Effets de la capture et du transport sur quelques constantes sanguines du jeune cerf. Gibier et Faune Sauvage 8: 271–281.Google Scholar
Brelurut, A. 1992. Utilisation des pulpes de betterave sèches par les faons après sevrage. INRA Production Animate 5: 223–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brelurut, A., Pingard, A. and Theriez, M. 1990. he cerf et son elcvage. INRA-Le Point vétérinaire, Paris.Google Scholar
Castle, M. E. 1976. A simple disc instrument for estimating herbage yield. Journal of the British Grassland Society 31: 37–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dove, H., Mayes, R. W., Freer, M. and Coombe, J. B. 1989. Faecal recoveries of the alcanes of plant cuticular waxes in penned and grazing sheep. Proceedings of the fifteenth international grassland congress, Nice, pp. 1093–1094.Google Scholar
Forbes, J. M., Brown, W. B., Al-Banna, A. G. M. and Jones, R. 1981. The effect of daylength on the growth of lambs. 3. Level of feeding, age of lamb and speed of gut-fill response. Animal Production 32: 23–28.Google Scholar
Hamilton, W. J. and Blaxter, K. L. 1981. Growth of red deer stags under farm conditions. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 97: 329–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarrige, R. ed. 1989. Ruminant nutrition: recommended allowance and feed tables. John Libbey Eurotext, Paris.Google Scholar
Kay, R. N. B. 1985. Seasonal changes of appetite in deer and sheep. Agricultural Research Council Research Review 5: 13–15.Google Scholar
Mayes, R. W., Lamb, C. S. and Colgrove, P. M. 1986. The use of dosed and herbage n-alkanes as markers for the determination of herbage intake. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 107: 161–170.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Michell, P. 1982. Value of a rising-plate meter for estimating herbage mass of grazed perennial ryegrass-white clover swards. Grass and Forage Science 37: 81–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milne, J. A., Sibbald, A. M., McCormack, H. A. and Loudon, A. S. 1987. The influences of nutrition and management on the growth of red deer calves from weaning to 16 months of age. Animal Production 45: 511–522.Google Scholar
Suttie, J. M. and Hamilton, W. J. 1983. The effect of winter nutrition on growth of young Scottish red deer (Cervus elaphus). Journal of Zoology 201: 153–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Theriez, M. 1989. Elevage et alimentation du cerf (Cervus elaphus). Elevage des jeunes et production de viande. INRA Production Animale 2: 105–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar