Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T10:08:00.645Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Increased winter growth in male red deer calves under an extended photoperiod

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. R. Webster ,
I. D. Corsor ,
R. P. Littlejohn  and
J. M. Suttie
J. R. Webster
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
I. D. Corsor
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
R. P. Littlejohn
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
J. M. Suttie
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
Get access

Abstract

The growth of male red deer slows during the first winter of life before increasing again during spring. This study aimed to determine if this period of slow growth could be minimized using artificial photoperiods during autumn and winter (10 April (week 1) to 11 September (week 23), southern hemisphere). Four groups of deer (no. = 10) were housed indoors as follows. Two groups were placed on a winter solstice photoperiod (8·5 light (L): 15·5 dark (D)) and given either a natural increase in photoperiod to 11·25L: 12·75D (WSN) or held on 8·5L: 15·5D for 7 weeks followed by an abrupt increase to 11·25L: 12·75D (WSH). One group was exposed to a summer solstice photoperiod of 16L: 8D (SS) and one group exposed to a natural photoperiodic pattern (IC). A fifth group of deer (no. = 10) was maintained outside on a gravelled enclosure under natural changes in photoperiod (OC). All groups were given a diet containing 160 g protein per kg and 11·0 MJ metabolizable energy per kg dry matter (DM) ad libitum. All animals were weighed weekly and group food intake recorded daily. Metatarsal length was measured at weeks 3,17 and 22 from the start of treatments.

The major differences occurred between SS and the other groups. After a period of slower growth (weeks 1 to 5, SS = 88 g/day v. 168 g/day other groups, s.e.d. 31·2, P < 0·05), SS grew more rapidly from week 10 (P < 0·01). As a result, SS was heaviest from week 17 (P < 0·05) until the end of the experiment (P < 0·01). The mean growth rate of SS animals from weeks 10 to 23 was 346 g/day compared with 173 g/day (s.e.d. 15·3; P < 0·001) for the other groups. Over the whole experiment, SS animals gained 42·3 kg live weight, compared with 31·1 kg for WSN, 26·6 kg for WSH, 25·1 kg for OC and 23·7 kg for IC (s.e.d. 2·08 kg P < 0·01). The DM intake of SS from week 9 until the end of the experiment averaged 2·04 kg DM per head per day compared with 1·48 (s.e. 0·041) kg DM per head per day for the mean of the other groups. Metatarsal length increased more in SS than the other groups (P < 0·001) between weeks 3 and 17 and was longest in SS at weeks 17 and 22 (P < 0·01). Exposure to a 16L: 8D photoperiod during winter advanced the rapid growth of red deer calves normally associated with spring and summer. This response may be used to advance slaughter dates for venison production.

Keywords

food intakegrowth ratephotoperiodred deer
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 65 , Issue 2 , October 1997 , pp. 305 - 310
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1997

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

Arendt, J. 1986. Role of the pineal gland and melatonin in seasonal reproductive function in mammals. Oxford Reviews of Reproductive Biology 8:266–320.Google ScholarPubMed
Asher, G. W. 1990. Effect of subcutaneous melatonin implants on the seasonal attainment of puberty in female red deer (Cervus elaphus). Animal Reproduction Science 22: 145–159.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davies, M. H., Parkinson, T. J., Douthwaite, J. A. and Deakin, D. W. 1995. Effect of extended photoperiod on appetite, growth and reproductive endocrinology in red deer stag calves. Animal Science 60: 539 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Diggle, P. J. 1990. Time series: a biostatistical introduction. Clarendon, Oxford.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ducker, M. J., Thwaites, C. J. and Bowman, J. C. 1970. Photoperiodism in the ewe. 2. The effects of various patterns of decreasing daylength on the onset of oestrus in Clun Forest ewes. Animal Production 12:115–123.Google Scholar
Fennessy, P. F. 1982. Growth and nutrition. In The farming of deer. World trends and modern techniques (ed. Yerex, D.), pp. 105–114. Agricultural Promotion Associates Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Forbes, J. M., El Shahat, A. A., Jones, R., Duncan, J. G. S. and Boaz, T. G. 1979. The effect of daylength on the growth of lambs. 1. Comparisons of sex, level of feeding, shearing and breed of sire. Animal Production 29:33–42.Google Scholar
Fraser, A. F. and Laing, A. H. 1969. Oestrus induction in ewes with standard treatments of reduced natural light. Veterinary Record 84:427–430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karsch, F. J., Robinson, J. E., Woodfill, C. J. I. and Brown, M. B. 1989. Circannual cycles of luteinizing hormone and prolactin secretion in ewes during prolonged exposure to a fixed photoperiod: evidence for an endogenous reproductive rhythm. Biology of Reproduction 41:1034–1046.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kay, R. N. B. 1979. Seasonal changes of appetite in deer and sheep. ARC Research Reviews 5: 13–15.Google Scholar
Kenward, M. G. 1987. A method for comparing profiles of repeated measures. Applied Statistics 36: 296–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loudon, A. S. I. and Brinklow, B. R. 1992. Reproduction in deer: adaptations for life in seasonal environments. In The biology of deer (ed. Brown, R. D.), pp. 261–278. Springer-Verlag, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peters, R. R., Chapin, L. T., Leining, K. B. and Tucker, H. A. 1978. Supplemental lighting stimulates growth and lactation in cattle. Science, USA 199: 911–912.Google ScholarPubMed
Simpson, A. M., Suttie, J. M. and Kay, R. N. B. 1983/1984. The influence of artificial photoperiod on the growth, appetite and reproductive status of male red deer and sheep. Animal Reproduction Science 6: 291–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suttie, J. M. 1980. Influence of nutrition on growth and sexual maturation of captive red deer stags. Proceedings of the second international reindeer/caribou symposium (ed. Reimers, E. Gaare and Skjenneberg, S.), pp. 341–349.Google Scholar
Suttie, J. M., Corson, I. D. and Fennessy, P. F. 1984a. Voluntary intake, testis development and antler growth patterns of male red deer under a manipulated photoperiod. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 44: 167–170Google Scholar
Suttie, J. M., Goodall, E. D., Pennie, K. and Kay, R. N. B. 1983. Winter food restriction and summer compensation in red deer stags (Cervus elaphus). British Journal of Nutrition 50: 737–747.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suttie, J. M. and Simpson, A. M. 1985. Photoperiodic control of appetite, growth, antlers and endocrine status of red deer. In Biology of deer production (ed. Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R.), pp. 429–432. The Royal Society of New Zealand, Wellington.Google Scholar
Suttie, J. M., Wenham, G. and Kay, R. N. B. 1984b. Influence of winter feed restriction and summer compensation on skeletal development in red deer stags (Cervus elaphus). Research in Veterinary Science 36: 183–186.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suttie, J. M., White, R. G., Breier, B. H. and Gluckman, P. D. 1991. Photoperiod associated changes in insulin-like growth factor-I in reindeer. Endocrinology 129: 679–682.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vigh-Larsen, F. 1993. Winter nutrition and production systems for young fallow deer bucks for slaughter. Proceedings of the first world forum on fallow deer farming(ed. Asher, G. W.), pp. 73–79.Google Scholar
Webster, J. R., Corson, I. D. and Suttie, J. M. 1997. The effect of housing and food restriction during winter on growth of male red deer calves. Animal Science 64:171–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar