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Growth of red deer stags under farm conditions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

W. J. Hamilton  and
K. L. Blaxter
W. J. Hamilton
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Hartwood Research Station, Shotts, Lanarkshire, ML7 4JY
K. L. Blaxter
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, AB2 9SB
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Summary

The growth in body weight of 91 stags from weaning to 15 months of age and of a smaller number from 15 months to maturity was examined using observations from a farmed stock kept on hill land. Growth rate in winter from 3 months to 10 months of age was proportional to feed allowed and was 35 % greater than for hind calveskept under similar conditions. Growth rate in the subsequent summer was greater for stags than for hinds in sixout of seven instances. After 15 months of age, stags continued to increase in body weight and their weight thus continued to diverge from that of hinds such that at 87 months the average weight of the surviving nine stags was 132 kg and that of the surviving 47 hinds, 78 kg. It is estimated that the equilibrium weight of stags was 154kg.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 97 , Issue 2 , October 1981 , pp. 329 - 334
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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References

REFERENCES

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