Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-cjp7w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-22T19:34:28.886Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reproduction in farmed red deer. 1. Hind and stag fertility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

W. J. Hamilton  and
K. L. Blaxter
W. J. Hamilton
Affiliation:
Hill Farming Research Organisation, Olensaugh, Laurencekirk AB3 IHB
K. L. Blaxter
Affiliation:
Rowelt Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The fertility of a stock of red deer kept under farming conditions on hill land over a period of 7 years has been assessed. The stock consisted of five cohorts of hinds born in successive years from 1971 to 1975. The fertility of hinds was related to their body weight by the general relationship P = 1 – exp(– 0·085(W– 52)) where Pis the probability that a hind will calve and W is her weight in kg at the time of the rut. When body weight was taken into account in this way, age had no effect on hind fertility. Fertility was, however, poor in one year following a rut which occurred in bad weather. Separation of calves from hinds at the time of the rut had no effect on fertility, and under the farm conditions there was no increase in fertility of hinds which had been barren the previous year above that expected from their body weight. Date of calving was slightly skewed, but 63 % of all calves were born in the first 20 days of June. Smaller hinds calved later; 1 kg body weight increased date of calving by about 0·3 days. Evidence of stag infertility was obtained and it was shown that one stag could effectively mate with 28 hinds such that they mostly calved within a 20-day period. It was possible to run 60 hinds with three stags and obtain calving rates which were similar to those for the hind population as a whole. There were no differences in fertility between matched groups of hinds exposed to one or two stags. The results are compared with those obtained by observation of wild stocks in Scotland.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 95 , Issue 2 , October 1980 , pp. 261 - 273
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

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

Beddington, J. R. & Taylor, D. B. (1973). Optimum age specific harvesting of a population. Biometrics 29, 801–809.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Kay, R. N. B., Sharman, G. A. M., Cunningham, J. M. M. & Hamilton, W. J. (1974). Farming the Red Deer, 93 pp. Edinburgh: Department of Agriculture and Fisheries: H.M.S.O.Google Scholar
Caughley, G. (1971). Demography, fat reserves and body size of a population of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Science 14, 993–1008.Google Scholar
Fletcher, T. J. (1974). The timing of reproduction in red deer according to latitude. Journal of Zoology, London 172, 363–367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gordon, I. (1971). Induction of early breeding in sheep by standard and modified progestagen-PMS treatments. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 76, 337–341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guinness, F. E., Albon, S. D. & Clutton-Brock, T. H. (1978). Factors affecting reproduction in Red Deer (5Cervus elaphus) hinds on Rhum. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 54, 325–334.Google Scholar
Guinness, F. E., Clutton-Brock, T. H. & Albon, S. D. (1978). Factors affecting calf mortality in red deer (Cervus elaphus). Journal of Animal Ecology 47, 817–832.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guinness, F. & Fletcher, J. (1971). First ever recorded incidence of twins born to a red deer hind in Britain. Deer 2, 680–682.Google Scholar
Guinness, F. E., Gibson, R. M. & Clutton-Brock, T. H. (1978). Calving times of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) on Rhum. Journal of Zoology, London 185, 105–114.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guinness, F., Lincoln, G. A. & Short, R. V. (1971). The reproductive cycle of the female red deer (Cervus elaphus L.). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 27, 427–438.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gunn, R. G. & Doney, J. M. (1975). Interaction of nutrition and body condition at mating on ovulation rate and early embryo mortality in Scottish blackface ewes. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 85, 465–470.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kröning, F. & Vorreyer, F. (1957). Untersuchunger über Vermehrungsraten und Körpergewichto boim weiblichen Rotwild. Zeitschrift für Jagdwissenschaft 3, 145–153.Google Scholar
Lincoln, G. A. & Guinness, F. E. (1973). Tho sexual significance of the rut in red deer. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility Supplement 19, 475–489.Google Scholar
Lowe, V. P. W. (1969). Population dynamics of tho rod deer (Cervus elaphus L.) on Rhum. Journal of Animal Ecology 38, 425–457.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, B. (1969). The potential output of moat as estimated from natural and park populations of Red Deer. In The Husbanding of Red Deer (Bannerman, M. M. and Blaxter, K. L.). Highlands & Islands Development Board and the Rowott Research Institute.Google Scholar
Mitchell, B. (1973). The reproductive performance of wild Scottish red door (Cervus elaphus). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility Supplement 19, 271–285.Google Scholar
Mitchell, B. & Lincoln, G. A. (1973). Conception dates in relation to age and condition in two populations of red deer in Scotland. Journal of Zoology, London 171, 141–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mitchell, B., Staines, B. W. & Welch, D. (1977). Ecology of the Red Deer. 74pp. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology. Natural Environment Kesearch Council.Google Scholar
Morrison, J. A., Trainer, C. E. & Wright, P. L. (1959). Breeding season in elk as determined from known-age embryos. Journal of Wildlife Management 23, 27—34.Google Scholar
Riney, T. (1956). Differences in the proportions of fawns to hinds in red deer. Nature, London 177, 488–489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, J. J. (1974). Intensifying ewe productivity. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production 3, 31–40.Google Scholar
Robinson, J. T. (1967). The Control of the Ovarian Cycle in the Sheep. Sydney University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Staines, B. W. (1970). The management and dispersion of a red deer population in Glen Dye, Kincardino-shire. Ph.D. thesis, University of Aberdeen.Google Scholar
Staines, B. W. (1978). The dynamics and performance of a declining population of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus). Journal of Zoology, London 184, 403–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar