Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pftt2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-15T21:17:18.927Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Hormonal induction of twinning in farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus): comparative mortality and growth of twins and singles to weaning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

P. F. Fennessy ,
G. H. Moore  and
R. P. Littlejohn
P. F. Fennessy
Affiliation:
MAF Technology, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel, New Zealand
G. H. Moore
Affiliation:
MAF Technology, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel, New Zealand
R. P. Littlejohn
Affiliation:
MAF Technology, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Mosgiel, New Zealand
Get access

Abstract

Multiple births were induced in 20 hinds subjected to a progesterone plus gonadotropin treatment to advance the breeding season by about 4 to 5 weeks. In total, over 2 years, 92 hinds were treated and run with melatonin-treated stags. Of the 59 hinds that calved to the induced oestrus, 39 produced single calves, 19 produced twins and one produced triplets. Birth weight, gestation length, perinatal mortality and growth rate to weaning at ca. 20 weeks of age were compared for singles and twins. There was a significant effect of birth type on birth weight with twins being proportionately 0·30 lighter than singles (6·27 and 8-94 kg; P < 0·001), with a significant interaction between the birth weight of a calf and the sex of its co-twin (P < 0·05); males born as co-twins to females were proportionately 0·18 heavier than their co-twin females (P < 0·06), while in contrast twin male sets were substantially lighter than twin female sets. Gestation lengths were similar for both singles and twins, with significant negative relationships between gestation length and birth weight for both singles and twins, with a 2-day decrease in gestation length for a 1-kg increase in mean birth weight. There was a strong quadratic relationship between perinatal survival and birth weight; the expected mortality rates at 5, 8 and 11 kg birth weight derived from the relationship were 0·39, 0·11 and 0·39 respectively, indicating reduced probability of survival at both low and high birth weights. The regression relationships between weaning weight or growth rate to weaning and birth weight indicate that at the same birth weight, twin-reared calves were about 5 kg lighter than singles at 20 weeks, while an extra 1 kg weight at birth was associated with an extra 2 kg weight at 20 weeks.

Keywords

growth ratePMSGprogesteronered deertwinning
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 51 , Issue 3 , December 1990 , pp. 623 - 630
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1990

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

REFERENCES

Adam, C. L. and Moir, C. E. 1987. A note on the effect of birth date on the performance of suckled red deer calves and their dams on low-ground pasture. Animal Production 44: 330–332.Google Scholar
Anderson, G. B., Bondurant, R. H. and Cupps, P. T. 1982. Induction of twins in different breeds of cattle. Journal of Animal Science 54: 485–490.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Arman, P., Kay, R. N. B., Goodall, E. D. and Sharman, G. A. M. 1974. The composition and yield of milk from captive red deer (Cervus elaphus). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 37: 67–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Asher, G. W. and Adam, J. L. 1985. Reproduction of farmed deer. In Biology of Deer Production (ed. Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R.), Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin 22: pp. 217–224.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. and Hamilton, W. J. 1980. Reproduction in farmed red deer. 2. Calf growth and mortality. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 95: 275–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourdon, R. M. and Brinks, J. S. 1982. Genetic, environmental and phenotypic relationships among gestation length, birth weight, growth traits and age at first calving in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 55: 543–553.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burfening, P. J. 1972. Prenatal and postnatal competition among twin lambs. Animal Production 15: 61–66.Google Scholar
Burfening, P. J., Kress, D. D., Friedrich, R. H. and Vaniman, D. D. 1978. Phenotypic and genetic relationships between calving ease, gestation length. birth weight and preweaning growth. Journal of Animal Science 47: 595–600.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Challies, C. N. 1985. Establishment, control, and commercial exploitation of wild deer in New Zealand. In Biology of Deer Production (ed. Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R.), Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin 22: pp. 23–26.Google Scholar
Clutton-Brock, T. H., Guinness, F. E. and Albon, S. D. 1982. Red Deer. Behaviour and Ecology of Two Sexes. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar
Dalton, D. C., Knight, T. W. and Johnson, D. L. 1980. Lamb survival in sheep breeds on New Zealand hill country. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 23: 167–173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diskin, M. G. and Sreenan, J. M. 1985. Production and management aspects of single-and twin-bearing beef cows. Animal Production 40: 553 (Abstr).Google Scholar
Fennessy, P. F. 1982. Growth and nutrition. In The Farming of Deer (ed. Yerex, D.), pp. 105–144. Agricultural Promotion Associates, Wellington, NZ.Google Scholar
Fennessy, P. F. and Thompson, J. M. 1989. Biological efficiency for venison production in red deer. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 49: 5–10.Google Scholar
Fennessy, P. F., Moore, G. H. and Corson, I. D. 1981. Energy requirements of red deer. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 41: 167–173.Google Scholar
Fisher, M. W., Fennessy, P. F. and Milne, J. D. 1988. Effects of melatonin on seasonal physiology of red deer. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 48: 113–116.Google Scholar
Fisher, M. W., Fennessy, P. F., Henderson, K. M., Newman, R. E. and Manley, T. R. 1989. Induction of twin ovulations in red deer hinds with steroid-free bovine follicular fluid. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 49: 103–106.Google Scholar
Forbes, J. M. 1967. Factors affecting the gestation length in sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 68: 191–194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guinness, F. E., Clutton-Brock, T. H. and Albon, S. D. 1978. Factors affecting calf mortality in red deer (Cervus elaphus) on Rhum. Journal of Animal Ecology 47: 817–832.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hinch, G. N., Kelly, R. W., Owens, J. L. and Crosbie, S. F. 1983. Patterns of lamb survival in high fecundity Booroola flocks. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 43: 29–32.Google Scholar
Jury, K. E., Johnson, D. L. and Clarke, J. N. 1979. Adjustment factors for lamb weaning weight. 1. Estimates from commercial flocks. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 22: 385–389.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
King, K. K., Seidel, G. E. and Elsden, R. P. 1985. Bovine embryo transfer pregnancies. II. Lengths of gestation. Journal of Animal Science 61: 758–762.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kroning, F. and Vorreyer, F. 1957. [Studies of reproductive rates and body weights of female red deer]. Zeitschrift fur Jagdwiss 3: 145–153.Google Scholar
Loudon, A. S. I., Darroch, A. D. and Milne, J. A. 1984. The lactation performance of red deer on hill and improved species pastures. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 102: 149–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milne, J. D. 1987. Comparison of behavioural interactions of red deer hinds and their pure or hybrid offspring. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Mitchell, B. 1973. The reproductive performance of wild Scottish red deer, Cervus elaphus. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 19: Suppl., pp. 271–285.Google ScholarPubMed
Moore, G. H. 1985. Management — mating, calving, lactation, weaning. Proceedings of a Deer Course for Veterinarians, Deer Branch, New Zealand Veterinary Association Vol. 2, pp. 155–172.Google Scholar
Moore, G. H. 1987. Twinning and triplets in red deer. The Deer Farmer 40: 34–35.Google Scholar
Moore, G. H. and Cowie, G. M. 1986. Advancement of breeding in non-lactating adult red deer hinds. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 46: 175–178.Google Scholar
Moore, G. H. and Littlejohn, R. P. 1989. Hybridisation of farmed wapiti (Cervus elaphus manitobensis) and red deer (Cervus elaphus). New Zealand Journal of Zoology 16: 191–198.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, G. H., Littlejohn, R. P. and Cowie, G. M. 1988a. Factors affecting liveweight gain in red deer calves from birth to weaning. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 31: 279–283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, G. H., Littlejohn, R. P. and Cowie, G. M. 1988b. Liveweights, growth rates, and mortality of farmed red deer at Invermay. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 31: 293–300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morris, C. A. 1984. A review of the genetics and reproductive physiology of dizygotic twinning in cattle. Animal Breeding Abstracts 52: 803–819.Google Scholar
Mueller, C. C. and Sadleir, R. M. F. S. 1980. Birth weights and early growth of captive mother-raised black-tailed deer. Journal of Wildlife Management 44: 268–272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shelton, J. N., Simpson-Morgan, M. W. and Summers, P. M. 1986. The cause of the shorter gestation length for twin calves: a computer simulation. Theriogenology 25: 451–454.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, S. P., Pollak, E. J. and Anderson, G. B. 1982. Maternal influences on growth of twin and single calves. Journal of Animal Science 55: 533–542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stewart-Scott, I., Pearce, P., Moore, G. and Fennessy, P. 1989. Freemartinism in red deer (Cervus elaphus). Proceedings of the 6th North American Colloquium on Cytogenetics of Domestic Animals. In press.Google Scholar
Suttie, J. M. 1987. Deer growth and nutrition. Proceedings of a Deer Course for Veterinarians, Deer Branch New Zealand Veterinary Association Vol. 4, pp. 94–108.Google Scholar
Swan, A. A. and Grasser, H.-U. 1988. Genetic correlations between gestation length, birth weight, 200-, 365-, and 550-day weights in beef cattle. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 7: 493–496.Google Scholar
Turman, E. J., Laster, D. B., Renbarger, R. E. and Stephens, D. F. 1971. Multiple births in beef cows treated with equine gonadotropin (PMS) and chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Journal of Animal Science 32: 962–967.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed