Environmental constraints on reproductive performance of farmed deer

Asher, G. W.; Fisher, M. W.; Fennessy, P. F.

doi:10.1016/0378-4320(96)01501-1

Cited by 29 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Therefore, a regular assessment of the state of the preorbital gland during routine handling can be used not only as an easy indicator of calf stress but also as an indicator of habituation to routine handling in farmed cervids as previously suggested for adults (Bartošová et al, 2012a), or in other words an indicator of sensitivity to stress, and therefore as a tool to detect those calves that are not ha- bituating and may suffer of chronic stress. Our results also confirm that cervids generally show a successful habituation to farming (Asher et al, 1996). Mother-offspring recognition and communication can use visual, olfactory, and acoustic cues.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Habituating to handling: Factors affecting preorbital gland opening in red deer calves1

Ceacero

Landete‐Castillejos

Bartošová

et al. 2014

Journal of Animal Science

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The preorbital gland plays not only an olfactory role in cervids but also a visual one. Opening this gland is an easy way for the calf to communicate with the mother, indicating hunger/satiety, stress, pain, fear, or excitement. This information can be also useful for farm operators to assess how fast the calves habituate to handling routines and to detect those calves that do not habituate and may suffer chronic stress in the future. Thirty-one calves were subjected to 2 consecutive experiments to clarify if observing preorbital gland opening is related to habituation to handling in red deer calves (Cervus elaphus). Calves were born in 3 different paddocks, handled as newborns (Exp. 1), and then subjected to the same routine handling but with different periodicity: every 1, 2, or 3 wk (Exp. 2). In Exp. 1, preorbital gland opening was recorded in newborns during an initial handling (including weighing, ear tagging, and sex determination). Preorbital gland opening occurred in 93% of calves during this procedure and was not affected by sex, time since birth, or birth weight. Experiment 2 consisted of measuring preorbital opening during the same routine handling (weighing, blood sampling, and rump touching to assess body condition) when calves were 1, 3, and 5 mo old. Binary logistic regression showed that gland opening was associated with habituation to handling, since at 1 and 3 mo the probability of opening the gland decreased with the number of handlings that a calf experienced before (P = 0.008 and P = 0.028, respectively). However, there were no further changes in preorbital gland opening rate in the 5-mo-old calves (P = 0.182). The significant influence of the number of previous handlings on the probability of opening the preorbital gland was confirmed through generalized linear model with repeated measures (P = 0.007). Preorbital gland opening decreased along the phases of the study. Nevertheless, we found a significant trend in individuals to keep similar opening patterns (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.807, P < 0.001), which suggests that the more stressed individuals can be detected with this method. Therefore, we conclude that preorbital gland opening during routine handlings is related to the number of previous handlings, and thus it can be used as an indicator of lack of habituation to handling in farmed cervids.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Habituating to handling: Factors affecting preorbital gland opening in red deer calves1

Ceacero

Landete‐Castillejos

Bartošová

et al. 2014

Journal of Animal Science

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“…For several researchers, this adaptation is directly related to photoperiod, since it has been proven that an administration of exogenous melatonin is able to stimulate the pituitary gland, increasing the productions of luteinizing hormone, subsequently, at the gonadal level, a rise in testosterone concentration, inducing spermatogenesis, thus defining the seasonality of the species (Asher, Peterson, & Bass, 1989). This information was also found in Ascher, Fisher, and Fennessy (1996) (Zanetti & Duarte, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Seasonal variations in serum concentrations of testosterone, testicular volume and neck circumference of fallow deer (Dama dama) kept ex situ in a tropical region

et al. 2019

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The fallow deer (Dama dama) is a species of Cervidae commonly kept in captivity, either in commercial farms or in zoos. The reproductive seasonality of this species is well known in the northern hemisphere, where photoperiod is a decisive factor in androgenic activity and, consequently, in the development of secondary sexual characteristics among male adults. The maintenance of this species in tropical regions has been successful, but there are no studies that demonstrate the maintenance of reproductive seasonality under these climatic conditions, which was the objective of the present study. To do so, the present investigation involved 27 fallow deer (D. dama) specimens, of which 14 were adults and 13 prepubescent (<8 months) individuals, all assessed during and outside (December–February) the reproductive season (June–August). The serum concentrations of testosterone, testicular volume, and neck circumference were analyzed among all animals during both seasons. The reproductive season was marked by expressive hormonal concentrations, increasing neck circumference and testicular volume, differing significantly between adults and prepubescent individuals outside the season. Positive correlations were observed among all analyzed variables: mean testicular volume and neck circumference (r = 0.92, p < 0.0001), testicular volume and testosterone concentrations (r = 0.79, p < 0.0001) and between neck circumference and testosterone concentrations (r = 0.67, p < 0.0001). Given the results found, the conclusion is that even under tropical climate conditions the reproductive seasonality of the fallow deer is well defined and may be related to photoperiod.

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“…Thus, the time of breeding (conception date) aligns parturition dates and lactation with periods of increased resource availability (Lincoln & Guinness 1973) to maximize calves survival and to compensate for the high cost of lactation (Oftedal 1985). In contrast, in European Mediterranean habitats, red deer births occur after the spring peak in pasture production (the green flush), and lactation extends over the 3-5 months of dry summer, the limiting season (Asher et al 1996;San Miguel et al 1999;Perea & Gil 2014a). In addition, the next rutting season starts while many calves are still nursing, leaving the female deer (hinds) with little time to recover from the physical depletion of the nursing period (Bugalho & Milne 2003;Landete-Castillejos et al 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate, female traits and population features as drivers of breeding timing in Mediterranean red deer populations

Peláez

Miguel

Rodrı́guez-Vigal³

et al. 2017

Integrative Zoology

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Understanding the factors that lead to variation in the timing of breeding in widespread species such as red deer (Cervus elaphus) is crucial to predict possible responses of wild populations to different climate scenarios. Here, we sought to further understand the causes of inter-annual variation in the reproduction timing of female deer in Mediterranean environments. An integrative approach was used to identify the relative importance of individual, population and climate traits in the date of conception of free-ranging deer, based on a dataset of 829 hinds culled during 12 years. We found that a population trait, density, was the most important factor explaining the variation in conception dates, with greater densities causing later conception dates. Body mass was the second in importance, with heavier females conceiving earlier than lighter ones. Almost equally important was the spring real bioclimatic index, a measure of plant productivity, causing later conception dates in the least productive springs (drier and hotter). Another climatic component, the end of summer drought, showed that the sooner the autumn arrives (greater rainfalls and cooler temperatures) the earlier the conception dates. Interestingly, age class was found to be a minor factor in determining conception date. Only older females (≥10 years old) conceived significantly later, suggesting reproductive senescence. This study highlights not only the importance of population and individual traits but also the influence of climatic parameters on the deer reproductive cycle in Mediterranean environments, giving valuable insight into how reproductive phenology may respond to seasonality and global climate changes.

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Environmental constraints on reproductive performance of farmed deer

Cited by 29 publications

References 16 publications

Habituating to handling: Factors affecting preorbital gland opening in red deer calves1

Habituating to handling: Factors affecting preorbital gland opening in red deer calves1

Seasonal variations in serum concentrations of testosterone, testicular volume and neck circumference of fallow deer (Dama dama) kept ex situ in a tropical region

Climate, female traits and population features as drivers of breeding timing in Mediterranean red deer populations

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