scholarly journals A comparison of methods for estimating forage intake, digestibility, and fecal output in red deer (Cervus elaphus)

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Konagh Garrett ◽  
Matt R Beck ◽  
Kelly Froehlich ◽  
Anita Fleming ◽  
Bryan R Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Design Experiment ◽  
Acid Detergent Fiber ◽  
Fecal Output ◽  
Pulse Dose ◽  
Forage Intake ◽  
Fresh Cut

Abstract The objective of this experiment was to determine appropriate methods for estimating fecal output, digestibility, and intake in red deer (Cervus elaphus). Dry matter intake (DMI), digestibility, and fecal output were estimated using the dual-marker (titanium dioxide; TiO2 and indigestible acid detergent fiber) technique, double n-alkane ratio technique (ALK) and the pulse dose (Yttrium; Y) technique to determine a suitable method to estimate DMI, fecal output, and digestibility measurements. Four male and four female deer were stratified by sex and randomly assigned either fresh-cut perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) or fresh-cut plantain (Plantago lanceolata) ad libitum in a cross-over design experiment. Actual DMI (mean ± SD: 1.5 ± 0.36 kg DM/d), digestibility (0.70 ± 0.06), and fecal output (0.45 ± 0.1 kg DM/d) were measured daily over the collection periods, and the average of each period was used for methods’ comparison. The ALK method adequately estimated digestibility and fecal output of plantain; however, overestimated digestibility (P < 0.05) and DMI of ryegrass, so that there was no statistical agreement (P > 0.10) in DMI when diets were pooled. The overestimated DMI of the ryegrass diet led to ALK predicting greater intake when deer consumed ryegrass than plantain, which was the opposite of actual measurements. The pulse dosed Y overestimated (P < 0.05) fecal output and consequently DMI for both plantain and ryegrass, however, indicated similar trends to actual values. The dual-marker technique using TiO2 was able to detect the statistical differences between plantain and ryegrass as the actual measurements, had moderate to strong precision (r = 0.50 to 0.66) and statistical agreement (P < 0.05) with the pooled diet data. Therefore, the dual-marker technique provided the best alternative estimation method to actual measurements of forage DMI of grazing red deer.

scholarly journals A comparison of the voluntary intake and digestion of a range of forages at different times of the year by the sheep and the red deer (Cervus elaphus)

1978 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 347-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Milne ◽  
J. C. Macrae ◽  
ANGELA M. Spence ◽  
S. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Alimentary Tract ◽  
Calluna Vulgaris ◽  
Particulate Phase ◽  
Fresh Frozen ◽  
Forage Intake ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Voluntary Intake ◽  
Better Than

1. Comparisons were made between castrated male Scottish Blackface sheep and red deer (Cervus elaphus) of voluntary forage intake (VFI), digestibility and the mean retention time (MRT) of a particulate-phase marker (103Ru-phenanthroline) in the alimentary tract, when a range of forages: dried-grass pellets, chopped dried grass, fresh-frozen Agrostis-Festuca spp. and heather (Calluna vulgaris, L. Hull) were given at different times of the year.2. On both the dried-grass-pellet and chopped dried-grass diets the red deer and sheep ate similar quantities. Both species had a higher VFI of dried-grass pellets in July than in November. The sheep digested the dried-grass-pellet diet better than the red deer and this was associated with a longer MRT of the particulate-phase marker in the alimentary tract.3. The VFI of Agrostis-Festuca spp. and heather by the red deer was twice that of the sheep. The VFI of heather by the sheep increased by 32 % between January and April, and the VFI of both the Agrostis-–Festuca spp. and heather diets by the red deer increased by 65–70 %. The sheep digested the Agrostis–Festuca spp. better than the red deer but the red deer digested the heather slightly better than the sheep. MRT of the particulate-phase marker was greater for the sheep than for the red deer on both diets. The digestibility and MRT of both diets in the red deer did not decrease with the seasonal increase in VFI, suggesting a possible hypertrophy of the alimentary tract.

scholarly journals Influence of Farming Conditions on the Rumen of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 601
Author(s):  
Federico Mason ◽  
Bartosz Fotschki ◽  
Alessia Di Rosso ◽  
Anna Korzekwa
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Anaerobic Bacteria ◽  
Acid Detergent Fiber ◽  
Morphological Adaptations ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Food Residues ◽  
Limited Choice ◽  
Campylobacter Spp

The red deer is an intermediate feeder, showing a marked degree of forage selectivity, with seasonal morphological adaptations due to changes in food quality and availability. In captivity, deer have a limited choice of habitat and food, and we hypothesize that this condition affects the rumen environment. Rumen samples were collected from 20 farmed and 11 wild red deer in autumn 2018 in Poland, and analyzed for chemical composition, food residues, microbial population, and rumen papillation. Farmed deer had the highest Campylobacter spp., and total anaerobic bacteria, but lower Clostridium spp. Moreover, they showed a decrease in Diplodininae protozoa, and the presence of holotrichs that were absent in the wild animals. The rumen digesta of farmed animals had lower dry matter and acid detergent fiber than the wild ones. The analysis of food residues underlined the poor variety of the diet for animals in the farm. This apparently affected the papillation of the rumen, with animals of the farm having the shortest papillae of the Atrium ruminis. Overall, results suggest that red deer kept in farms, with a diet based mainly on grass, tree leaves, and some concentrate supplements, undergo a small modification of the rumen compared to the wild conspecifics.

scholarly journals Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) reduces the environmental impact of farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus)1

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt R Beck ◽  
Konagh Garrett ◽  
Bryan R Thompson ◽  
David R Stevens ◽  
Graham K Barrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
N2o Emissions ◽  
Water Excretion ◽  
Dry Matter Digestibility ◽  
Daily Urine

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) on water dynamics and balance, as well as nitrogen (N) excretion by red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) as a potential forage tool to reduce negative environmental impacts. This experiment used a crossover design with red deer (n = 8) in metabolism crates to determine how fresh-cut herbage diets of either plantain or ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) compared in terms of dry matter intake (DMI), diet digestibility, water dynamics, and N dynamics. Deer consuming plantain had greater water intake from herbage (P < 0.01) compared with ryegrass. Additionally, when fed plantain, deer had greater water excretion from urine (P < 0.01; 69.4%) and feces (P < 0.01; 29.4%) and, thus, total water excretion (P < 0.01; 61.7%) than when fed ryegrass. When consuming plantain, deer had greater DMI (P = 0.02; +11.2%) and fecal output (P < 0.01; +36.8%) and lower apparent dry matter digestibility (P = 0.03; −8.3%) compared with ryegrass. Plantain (15.9%) contained 30% less crude protein than ryegrass (22.8%) so that even with the greater DMI of plantain, plantain had lower (P < 0.01; −23%) N intake (g/d). Deer consuming plantain had lower urine N concentration (P < 0.01) than when consuming ryegrass. Additionally, deer consuming plantain had much less daily urine N (P < 0.01; −34.9%) excretions. Our results indicate deer fed plantain had greater DMI, ingested more water, and excreted more water than those consuming ryegrass, with lower urinary N (UN) concentration and lesser daily urine N excretion. Thus, we conclude that offering red deer plantain may reduce the environmental impact associated with UN output, such as nitrate leaching or N2O emissions to the atmosphere.

Vocalizations in red deer (Cervus elaphus), sika deer (Cervus nippon), and red × sika hybrids

1998 ◽  
Vol 244 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Long ◽  
N.P. Moore ◽  
T. J. Hayden
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Sika Deer ◽  
Cervus Nippon

The deer of the island of Lampedusa (Pelagian Archipelago, Italy): literary references and osteological evidence

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARCO MASSETP ◽  
BRUNO ZAVA
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Taxonomic Relationships

During the nineteenth century, scientific literature and official reports recorded the occurrence of a population of red deer, Cervus elaphus, on the island of Lampedusa (Pelagian Archipelago, Italy). Osteological specimens collected by the zoologist Enrico Hillier Giglioli towards the end of the century confirmed these references. Since cervids are not found among the fossil fauna of the island, the red deer must have been introduced by man although we do not yet know precisely when. The former existence of the species on Lampedusa is discussed by comparison of literary material and bone evidence. The population's probable origins and its taxonomic relationships with other Mediterranean red deer populations are also analysed.

Role of ovarian failure in reproductive senescence in aged red deer (Cervus elaphus) hinds

Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fisher ◽  
B. McLeod ◽  
D. Heath ◽  
S Lun ◽  
P. Hurst
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Ovarian Failure ◽  
Reproductive Senescence

Production of interferon by red deer (Cervus elaphus) conceptuses and the effects of roIFN-tau on the timing of luteolysis and the success of asynchronous embryo transfer

Reproduction ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 387-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
KJ Demmers ◽  
HN Jabbour ◽  
DW Deakin ◽  
AP Flint
Keyword(s):  
Embryo Transfer ◽  
Early Pregnancy ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Pregnancy Loss ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Interferon Tau ◽  
Recombinant Interferon ◽  
Uterine Flushing ◽  
Calving Rate

The role of interferon in early pregnancy in red deer was investigated by (a) measuring production of interferon by the conceptus, (b) testing the anti-luteolytic effect of recombinant interferon-tau in non-pregnant hinds, and (c) treatment of hinds with interferon after asynchronous embryo transfer. Blastocysts were collected from 34 hinds by uterine flushing 14 (n = 2), 16 (n = 2), 18 (n = 8), 20 (n = 13) or 22 (n = 9) days after synchronization of oestrus with progesterone withdrawal. Interferon anti-viral activity was detectable in uterine flushings from day 16 to day 22, and increased with duration of gestation (P < 0.01) and developmental stage (P < 0.01). When interferon-tau was administered daily between day 14 and day 20 to non-pregnant hinds to mimic natural blastocyst production, luteolysis was delayed by a dose of 0.2 mg day(-1) (27.3 +/- 1.3 days after synchronization, n = 4 versus 21 +/- 0 days in control hinds, n = 3; P < 0.05). Interferon-tau was administered to hinds after asynchronous embryo transfer to determine whether it protects the conceptus against early pregnancy loss. Embryos (n = 24) collected on day 6 from naturally mated, superovulated donors (n = 15) were transferred into synchronized recipients on day 10 or day 11. Interferon-tau treatment (0.2 mg daily from day 14 to 20) increased calving rate from 0 to 64% in all recipients (0/11 versus 7/11, P < 0.005), and from 0 to 67% in day 10 recipients (0/8 versus 6/9, P < 0.01). The increased success rate of asynchronous embryo transfer after interferon-tau treatment in cervids may be of benefit where mismatched embryo-maternal signalling leads to failure in the establishment of pregnancy.

The population of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) in Tulcea county (Romania)

2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 351-356
Author(s):  
Sorin Geacu
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Forest Land ◽  
The West ◽  
Spreading Area ◽  
Deer Population ◽  
The North ◽  
Natural Expansion ◽  
North Western

The population of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus L., 1758) in Tulcea county (Romania) The presence of the Red Deer in the North-western parts of Tulcea County is an example of the natural expansion of a species spreading area. In North Dobrogea, this mammal first occurred only forty years ago. The first specimens were spotted on Cocoşul Hill (on the territory of Niculiţel area) in 1970. Peak numbers (68 individuals) were registered in the spring of 1987. The deer population (67 specimens in 2007) of this county extended along 10 km from West to East and 20 km from North to South over a total of 23,000 ha (55% of which was forest land) in the East of the Măcin Mountains and in the West of the Niculiţel Plateau.

scholarly journals Pestivirus infections in cervids from the Czech Republic

2009 ◽  
Vol 54 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 191-193
Author(s):  
K. Sedlak ◽  
T. Girma ◽  
J. Holejsovsky
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Competitive Inhibition ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Border Disease Virus ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Diarrhea Virus ◽  
Border Disease

372 sera of cervids from the Czech Republic were examined for antibodies to the bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and border disease virus (BDV) by competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and for the presence of the BVDV by AgELISA. Antibodies to BVDV/BDV were found in 0.6% (two positive/305 tested) red deer (<I>Cervus elaphus</I>). BVDV/BDV antibodies were not found in four sika deer (<I>Cervus Nippon</I>) and 63 fallow deer (<I>Dama dama</I>). All serum samples were BVDV antigen negative. Our results confirmed that red deer in the Czech Republic are only rarely infected with Pestiviruses. This was the first survey of pestiviruses in farmed and wild cervids in the Czech Republic.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document