Effect of feeding level on the seasonal liveweight gain of young red deer (cervus elaphus) and red/elk hybrid stags

H.G. Judson and A.M. Nicol

Animal and Veterinary Sciences Group, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.

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Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1997, 57: 139-143

Elk (Cervus elaphus ssp.) are becoming increasingly popular as a terminal sire for crossing with New Zealand red deer (Cervus elaphus). Hybrid offspring are significantly heavier at weaning and have a faster post-weaning liveweight gain. However no formal comparisons of liveweight gain responses of red deer and hybrids to pasture allowance have been made. The aim of this work was to compare the growth rate of young red deer and red/elk hybrid stags over a range of nutritional levels during 3 seasons.

Single species groups (10-12) of red deer and hybrid weaner stags were offered one of four pasture allowances under rotational grazing for a period of 9 weeks in the winter (June-July), spring (October-December) and summer (February-March). Stags were weighed and given a new allocation of pasture weekly. Pasture allowance ranged from 0.08 to 0.51 kg DM/W0.75/day and pre-grazing pasture mass from 800 to 4500kg DM/ha.

Winter growth rate was low (35g-85g/d), was relatively unaffected by quantity of pasture offered and was similar for both genotypes. In spring however hybrids grew on average 73g/day (29%) more rapidly than red deer across all pasture allowances and 87g/d more at the highest allowance. The hybrid response to extra spring pasture allowance was large compared to reds (190g/day at 2kg DM/head/day to 300g/day at 9.5kg DM/head/day). Although summer liveweight gain was similar to spring when compared across genotype and allowance, the difference between genotypes was generally small except at the highest allowance where hybrids grew significantly faster than red deer. Highest liveweight gain per hectare was achieved by red deer during the spring offered 4kg DM/h/ day of a 14cm high pasture.

Hybrid liveweight gain was only greater than red deer during spring and during summer when pasture availability was high. Genotype differences in the proportion of deer reaching 92kg liveweight in 12 months were sensitive to pre-winter liveweight.

Keywords: NZSAPAB; red deer; elk; hybrids; growth rate; pasture allowance; rotational grazing; pasture availability.

Last Updated 12-09-1998