Voluntary feed intake, growth and efficiency of feed conversion in
growing sambar (Cervus unicolor) and red deer (Cervus elaphus)
G. Semiadi, P. D. Muir, T.N. Barry
Department of Animal Science, Massey University, Palmerston North,
New Zealand.
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 1994,
54: 63-66
Hand-reared sambar and red deer (3 hinds and 5 stags/species) were
confined indoors in individual pens and fed a pelleted diet ad libitum, to
study seasonal effects upon voluntary feed intake (VFI) and body growth.
Mean age at the start of the experiment was 5 months for sambar and 7 months
for red deer. Red deer of both sexes showed maximum VFI and liveweight gain
(LWG) in summer and minimum values in winter. Sambar of both sexes also
showed seasonal cycles in VFI and LWG, but with maximum values in autumn
and minimum values in spring, and with the amplitude of the cycles being
much less than for red deer. Over a complete 12 month period (7-19 months of
age), total LWG was similar in sambar and red deer, but total VFI was lower
for sambar (p<0.01) and efficiency of food conversion (kgDM/kgLWG) more
efficient for sambar than for red deer (p<0.05). When energy requirements
were calculated, the amount of metabolisable energy (ME) required for both
maintenance and gain were lower for sambar than for red deer.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
sambar deer; red deer; voluntary feed intake; body growth; feed
conversion; metabolisable energy.
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Last Updated 25-01-1997
