The Costs of Reproduction to Red Deer Hinds

Abstract

Successful reproduction by red deer (C. elaphus) hinds reduced the mother''s body condition, survival and fecundity during the next breeding season. The effects of successful reproduction on fecundity were modified by population density as well as by the mother''s age and the birth date and sex of her calf. In contrast, successful reproduction in 1 yr had little effect on the birth weight, survival or growth of any calf produced the following season, apparently because non-breeding (yeld) hinds lost a higher proportion of their body reserves during the winter months than successful breeders (milk hinds). Although mothers that conceived again in the year following the birth of a calf weaned their calves earlier than those that failed to breed again, this difference had no obvious effect on the survival of the previous calf. Increases in the size of matrilineal groups of hinds reduced the reproductive performance of their members. This effect should be included among the costs of successful reproduction.