Liveweights, growth rates, and mortality of farmed red deer at Invermay

Abstract

Liveweights, growth rates, and mortality of farmed red deer at Invermay are reported from the first calving season in 1973 to March 1984, over which time 901 calves were weaned. Calf birth weights increased by 3 kg and the overall sex ratios at birth and weaning did not differ significantly from 50:50. Mortality of young calves, mostly perinatal and including stillbirths, averaged 13% for males and 8% for females over the years but reduced to 8% overall for the last five calving seasons. Growth rates from birth to weaning were mostly less than 300 g per day in the 1973-74-born cohorts but growth rates closer to 400 g per day were recorded in male calves born in the 1982-83 seasons. Weaning weights when calves were aged about 3 months increased over the years by 10 kg to 47 kg (males) and 45 kg (females). Seasonal growth rates of young deer showed considerable variation with year but were characteristically high over spring-summer, low in winter, and intermediate over the calves'' first autumn. On average, growth rate of males was higher than that of females by 8% in autumn, 76% in winter, and 48% during spring-summer. Mortality of calves was highest in early winter averaging 2.3% (13/571). Mortality of hinds averaged 1.3% per annum and that of stags, 1.9%. The mean liveweights of stags and hinds with age are given up to 5 and 10 years of ages respectively. Hind liveweight changes between mating and the end of winter were found to have a potential in pregnancy diagnosis.