Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-qsmjn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T16:04:54.638Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Adoption, allonursing and allosucking in farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

L. Bartoš ,
D. Vaňkovà ,
J. Šiler  and
G. Illmann
Get access

Abstract

Following a pilot study, the aim of this study was to test the hypothesis whether occurrence of massaging the anogenital region of a calf by a non-maternal hind is a reliable indicator of adoption. The investigation was conducted between 28 May (1st day of calving) and 2 September (abrupt weaning of all calves) on a red deer farm at Vimperk, Czech Republic. Fifty hinds and their calves were observed but only complete data sets of sucking bouts were considered for evaluation. Massaging occurred mostly during the 1st month of the calf’s life. All filial calves were massaged repeatedly. Other calves received ano-genital massage at least twice (termed adopted), on a single occasion or not at all (termed non-filial). Filial and adopted calves behaved in a similar way but differently from non-filial calves. They sucked in an antiparallel standing position so that the hind could lick their ano-genital region more often than the non-filial calves. This occurred even when two calves were involved in the bout. When two calves were involved in the sucking bout, non-filial calves sucked from behind, between the hind’s hind legs. This position occurred more frequently with non-filial than among the filial and adopted calves. It was therefore concluded, that repeated allonursing accompanied with massaging of the ano-genital region of the sucking calf by the hind can be considered a signal of adoption. Hinds usually adopted calves older than their own progeny. The adopted calves were on average 2·5 days old. This suggests that it is most likely the calf’s activity which leads to bonding. No reciprocity was found in allosucking and/or allonursing. The fact that non-filial calves commonly initiated allosucking from a non-maternal hind during the day when she gave birth appeared crucial for establishing bonding which subsequently led to adoption. Hinds may be bonded with several calves including their own. Therefore, bonding with a non-filial calf did not principally mean failure in looking after their own progeny as shown in other studies.

Keywords

adoptionmismotheringnursingred deersucking
Type
Non-ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 72 , Issue 3 , June 2001 , pp. 483 - 492
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2001

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

Alexander, G. and Stevens, D. 1982. Odour cues to maternal recognition of lambs: an investigation of some possible sources. Applied Animal Ethology 9: 165–175.Google Scholar
Altmann, M. 1952. Social behaviour of elk, Cervus canadensis nelsoni, in the Jackson Hole area of Wyoming. Behaviour 4: 116–143.Google Scholar
Altmann, M. 1956. Patterns of herd behavior in free-ranging elk of Wyoming, Cervus-canadensis nelsoni. Zoologica, N. Y. 41: 65–71.Google Scholar
Altmann, M. 1963. Naturalistic studies of maternal care in moose and elk. In Maternal behavior in mammals (ed. Rheingold, H. D.), pp. 233–253. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York.Google Scholar
Arman, P. 1974. A note on parturition and maternal behaviour in captive red deer (Cervus elaphus L. ). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 37: 87–90.Google Scholar
Arman, P., Hamilton, W. J. and Sharman, G. A. M. 1978. Observations on the calving of free-ranging tame red deer (Cervus elaphus). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 54: 279–283.Google Scholar
Bartoš, L., Vaňkovà, D., Hyánek, J. and Šiler, J. 2001. Impact of allosucking on growth of farmed red deer calves (Cervus elaphus). Animal Science 72: 493–500.Google Scholar
Birgersson, B., Ekvall, K. and Temrin, H. 1991. Allosuckling in fallow deer, Dama-dama . Animal Behaviour 42: 326–327.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Kay, R. N. B., Sharman, G. A. M., Cunningham, J. M. M. and Hamilton, W. J. 1974. Farming the red deer. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, Edinburgh. Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Bubenik, A. B. 1965. Beitrag zur Geburtskunde und zu den Mutter-Kind-Beziehungen des Reh (Capreolus capreolus L. ) und Rotwildes (Cervus elaphus L.). Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 30: 65–128.Google Scholar
Clutton-Brock, T.H, Guinness, F. E. and Albon, S.D. 1982. Red deer, behavior and ecology of two sexes. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Edwards, S. A. and Broom, D. M. 1982. Behavioural interactions of dairy cows with their newborn calves and the effects of parity. Animal Behaviour 30: 525–535.Google Scholar
Ekvall, K. 1998. Effects of social organization, age and aggressive behaviour on allosuckling in wild fallow deer. Animal Behaviour 56: 695–703.Google Scholar
Espmark, Y. 1969. Mother-young relation and development of behaviour in roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L. ). Viltrevy 6: 461–540.Google Scholar
Espmark, Y. 1971. Mother-young relationship and ontogeny of behaviour in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L. ). Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 29: 42–81.Google Scholar
Fisher, M. W., Sigsgaard, J., Pemberton, J. M. and Tate, M. 1994. Hind-calf bonding during the neonatal period: evidence of mismatching in farmed red deer. Proceedings of the third international congress on the biology of deer, Edinburgh, p. 117 (abstr. ).Google Scholar
Gauthier, D. and Barrette, C. 1985. Suckling and weaning in captive white-tailed and fallow deer. Behaviour 94: 128–149.Google Scholar
Guinness, F. E., Hall, M. J. and Cockerill, R. A. 1979. Mother-offspring association in red deer (Cervus elaphus L. ) on Rhum. Animal Behaviour 27: 536–544.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harper, J. A., Harn, J. H., Bentley, W. W. and Yocum, C. F. 1967. The status and ecology of Roosevelt elk in California. Wildlife Monographs 16: 1–49.Google Scholar
Illmann, G., Bartoš, L. and S˘iler, J. 1997. Allosuckling and daytime nursing pattern in farmed red deer Cervus elaphus . Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 62: 124–126.Google Scholar
Kelly, R. W. and Drew, K. R. 1976. Shelter seeking and sucking behaviour of the red deer calf (Cervus elaphus) in a farmed situation. Applied Animal Ethology 2: 101–111.Google Scholar
Kelly, R. W. and Whateley, J. A. 1975. Observations on the calving of red deer (Cervus elaphus) run in confined areas. Applied Animal Ethology 1: 293–300.Google Scholar
Murphey, R. M., Paranhos da Costa, M. J. R., da Silva, R. G. and de Souza, R. C. 1995. Allonursing in river buffalo, Bubalus bubalis: nepotism, incompetence, or thievery? Animal Behaviour 49: 1611–1616.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Packer, C., Lewis, S. and Pusey, A. 1992. A comparative analysis of non-offspring nursing. Animal Behaviour 43: 265–281.Google Scholar
Pélabon, C., Yoccoz, N. G., Ropertcoudert, Y., Caron, M. and Peirera, V. 1998. Suckling and allosuckling in captive fallow deer (Dama dama, Cervidae). Ethology 104: 75–86.Google Scholar
Pemberton, J. M., Slate, J., Bancroft, D. R. and Barrett, J. A. 1995. Non-amplifying alleles at microsatellite loci: a caution for parentage and population studies. Molecular Ecology 4: 249–252.Google Scholar
Poindron, P., Le Neindre, P., Lévy, F. and Keverne, E. B. 1984. Les mécanismes physiologiques de l’acceptation du noveau-né chez la brebis. Biology of Behaviour 9: 65–88.Google Scholar
Prior, R. 1968. The roe deer of Cranborne Chase: a social survey. Oxford University Press, London.Google Scholar
Pruitt, W. O. 1960. Behavior of the barren-ground caribou. Biological Papers of University of Alaska 3: 1–44.Google Scholar
Riedmann, M. L. 1982. The evolution of alloparental care and adoption in mammals and birds. Quarterly Review of Biology 57: 405–435.Google Scholar
San José, C. and Braza, F. 1993. Adoptive behaviour in fallow deer (Cervus dama). Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 58: 122–123.Google Scholar
Schaller, G. B. 1967. The deer and the tiger: a study of wildlife in India. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar
Scott, J. P. 1978. Critical periods in organizational processes. In Human growth: a comprehensive treatise, volume III (ed. Falkner, F. and Tanner, J. M.), pp. 359–367. Plenum Press, New York.Google Scholar
Špinka, M. and Illmann, G. 1992. Suckling behaviour of young dairy calves with their own and alien mothers. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 33: 165–173.Google Scholar
Stokes, M. E., Davis, C. S. and Koch, G. G. 1997. Categorical data analysis using the SAS system. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Thomas, J. W., Robinson, R. M. and Marrburger, R. G. 1965. Social behavior in a white-tailed deer herd containing hypogonadal males. Journal of Mammalogy 46: 314–327.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waltl, B., Appleby, M. C. and Solkner, J. 1995. Effects of relatedness on the suckling behaviour of calves in a herd of beef cattle rearing twins. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 45: 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Welch, R. A. S. and Kilgour, R. 1970. Mismothering among Romneys. New Zealand Journal of Agriculture 121: 26–27.Google Scholar
Wölfel, H. 1983. Zur Jugendentwicklung, Mutter-Kind-Bindung und Feindvermeidung beim Rothirsch (Cervus elaphus) I. Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaft 29: 143–162.Google Scholar
Woodson, D. L., Reed, E. T., Downing, R. L. and McGinnes, B. S. 1980. Effect of fall orphaning on white-tailed deer fawns and yearlings. Journal of Wildlife Management 44: 249–252.Google Scholar