Advancement of breeding in non-lactating adult red deer hinds

G.H. Moore, G.M. Cowie

Invermay Agricultural Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Mosgiel

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1986, 46: 175-178

Teaser stags and progesterone-PMS treatments were used to advance the breeding season in non-lactating adult red deer hinds. In Experiment 1, 2 vasectomised stags were run with 39 hinds for 15 d prior to joining with entire stags. More teased hinds (20/39) calved early (11-20 November ) than group of non-teased hinds (5/42). In other experiments, laparoscopy revealed that progesterone + PMS treated hinds ovulated in mid February. Although calves were born as early as 10 October, indicating stags could successfully fertilise a hind in mid February, such treatment did not result in many hinds calving in October. It seems that the stag is sub-fertile in February. Calving dates of contiguous control hinds show that a large proportion were mated 18 to 25 d after the induced oestrus in treated hinds indicating red deer stags can have an effect similar to the 'ram effect'. Some hinds calving to the induced oestrus produced twins.

Keywords: NZSAPAB; Red deer; advanced breeding; CIDR; PMS; twinning; 'stag effect'; social facilitation; calving period

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Last Updated 18-03-1997