Evaluating velvet antler growth in red deer stags (Cervus elaphus) using hand-held and digital infrared thermography

2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Bowers ◽  
S Gandy ◽  
T Dickerson ◽  
C Brown ◽  
T Strauch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Early Growth ◽  
Main Beam ◽  
Antler Growth ◽  
Velvet Antler ◽  
Late Growth ◽  
Over Time

The objectives of this study were to evaluate whether velvet antler (VA) surface temperature gradients, as measured by either a single-spot infrared temperature (SST) sensor (SSTS; exp. 1) or digital infrared temperature (DIT) imaging (DITI; exp. 2), would pattern VA growth. In exp. 1, growth rates and SST were obtained from yearling (n = 8) and mature (n = 17) red deer stags (Cervus elaphus) every 14 d following eruption through day 56 in yearlings and day 112 in mature stags. In exp. 2, growth rates and DIT (main beam VA base, mid and tip temperatures) were obtained from red deer stags (n = 31) every 14 d following eruption through day 126. Background temperatures were recorded in conjunction with thermal antler measurements. In exp. 1, yearling VA base and tip SST were positively correlated with one another (P < 0.01); however, both measurements were also positively correlated with background SST (P < 0.05). In mature stags, VA base SST paralleled (P < 0.05) background SST measures, while tip SST did not change from day 56 through day 112. In exp. 2, VA DIT changed (P < 0.01) over time and differed (P < 0.01) between base, mid and tip. During the early growth period, VA temperatures increased (P < 0.05) from 38.9 ± 0.2°C at the base to 39.3 ± 0.2°C at the tip of the antler. In contrast, during the late growth period, DIT was higher (P < 0.01) at the base (36.8 ± 0.3°C) than at the tip (35.7 ± 0.3°C) of the antler. In conclusion, SSTS did not have the sensitivity to signify changes in antler growth rates. However, in exp. 2 using DITI, VA thermogenesis paralleled VA growth suggesting that DITI may have value in monitoring VA growth. Key words: Velvet antler, red deer, thermography

To beat or not to beat: Behavioral plasticity during the antler growth period affects cortisol but not testosterone concentrations in red deer (Cervus elaphus) males

2020 ◽  
Vol 297 ◽  
pp. 113552
Author(s):  
Bruno Esattore ◽  
Matías Villagrán ◽  
Jan Pluháček ◽  
Martina Komárková ◽  
Adam Dušek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Behavioral Plasticity ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Antler Growth

Temporal changes in LH and testosterone and their relationship with the first antler in red deer (Cervus elaphus) stags from 3 to 15 months of age

1991 ◽  
Vol 131 (3) ◽  
pp. 467-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Suttie ◽  
P. F. Fennessy ◽  
S. F. Crosbie ◽  
I. D. Corson ◽  
F. J. Laas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Pulse Frequency ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Pulsatile Secretion ◽  
Antler Growth ◽  
Velvet Antler

ABSTRACT Blood samples were taken from six tame red deer stags at 3–15 months of age once a month from a jugular catheter every 30 min for 24 h to investigate hormonal secretion during puberty and during growth of the pedicle and first antler. All plasma samples were analysed for LH and testosterone concentrations and the resultant data were analysed using the PULSAR pulse detection routine. In addition each stag was injected with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH; 20 ng/kg body weight) after the above samples had been taken and the bleeding regimen was continued for a further 2 h. Body weight, antler size and status (i.e. whether the stags had a pedicle or antler) were also recorded. The pulsatile secretion of LH could be considered to have occurred in three phases. The first of these was one of development, with the LH pulse frequency increasing to 8 pulses/24 h, the second a phase of regression, with a decrease in LH pulse frequency to 2 pulses/24 h, and finally a second phase of development characterized by increased LH pulse frequency to 12 pulses/24 h. Testosterone secretion generally followed the same pattern. During the period before the permanent bony pedicles grew, there were less than five LH pulses/24 h. When the pedicles were growing, LH and testosterone pulsatile secretion increased but the pulse frequency of both hormones fell during velvet antler growth. However, the overall mean testosterone level did not significantly decrease between the growth stages (2·74 and 2·29 nmol/l respectively) although mean testosterone plasma rose during pedicle growth and fell during velvet antler growth. Both hormone plasma concentrations increased dramatically, and testosterone was particularly high (11·82 nmol/l), at the time of antler cleaning. All stags responded to exogenous GnRH by secreting LH and testosterone in all sampling periods. The LH response to GnRH increased during pedicle growth and fell during antler growth before rising again in autumn as the breeding season approached. Testosterone responses largely paralleled those of LH except that they remained high in early antler development. The results are consistent with the following hypotheses. (1) Pedicle initiation is caused by increased plasma level of testosterone stimulated by increasing LH pulse frequency and (2) testosterone is stimulatory for pedicle growth but not necessarily so for velvet antler growth. Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 131, 467–474

Effects of immunization against GnRH upon body growth, voluntary food intake and plasma hormone concentration in yearling red deer stags (Cervus elaphus)

1993 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. O. Freudenberger ◽  
P. R. Wilson ◽  
T. N. Barry ◽  
Y. X. Sun ◽  
R. W. Purchas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Body Growth ◽  
Scrotal Circumference ◽  
Voluntary Feed Intake ◽  
Antler Growth ◽  
Velvet Antler

SUMMARYRed deer stags in New Zealand were given a series of immunizations against GnRH at 9–12 months of age (spring/early summer) in 1989 and 1990 and the effects upon plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone during the rut (15–17 months; autumn) and upon body growth to slaughter at 22 months (spring) were studied in two experiments. Control animals showed a sharp peak in plasma LH and testosterone concentration during late summer/early autumn, just preceding the rut, with scrotal circumference increasing to a maximum during the rut; body growth stopped during the rut in Expt 1 but not in Expt 2. Immunization caused the development of significant antibodies against GnRH during late spring and summer, and reduced but did not eliminate the increase in plasma LH and testosterone and scrotal enlargement leading up to the rut. Immunization did not affect body growth or voluntary feed intake during the rut in either experiment, but in Expt 1 early immunization significantly increased growth during both the pre-rut and post-rut periods. Immunization did not effect dressing out percentage, slightly increased carcass fatness in Expt 1 but not Expt 2, and reduced velvet antler growth by 12 months of age.

scholarly journals Tracking red deer population size using deterministic cohort analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerio Donini ◽  
Luca Corlatti ◽  
Luca Pedrotti
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Cohort Analysis ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Natural Mortality ◽  
Relative Index ◽  
Deer Population ◽  
Monitoring Tools ◽  
Over Time

AbstractReliable and cost-effective monitoring tools to track population size over time are of key importance for wildlife management and conservation. Deterministic cohort analysis may be used to this aim, especially in hunted populations, but it requires that all mortality events are recorded and that individual age at death is known exactly. In this study, we investigated the reliability of cohort analysis as a relative index to track over-time variation in red deer (Cervus elaphus) abundance, in the absence of exact information about natural mortality and age. Visual tooth inspection was used to age 18,390 individuals found dead or hunted between 1982 and 2020 within the Trentino sector of the Stelvio National Park and the Val di Sole hunting district (Central Italian Alps). Temporal trend of reconstructed population size was checked using spring spotlight counts as a benchmark, through the Buishand range test and a linear model. Our results showed a significant and positive relationship between reconstructed population size and spring spotlight counts between 1982 and 2013, suggesting that cohort analysis could reliably track red deer population trend up to 7 years in the past. With a relative error of  +  1.1 (SD  =  1.5) years in the estimation of age, and fairly stable hunting pressure, our results support the use of deterministic cohort analysis as a relative index of abundance for monitoring red deer over time, even in the absence of exact information about natural mortality. Under violation of assumptions, however, the performance of deterministic reconstruction should be carefully inspected at the management scale.

Plasma LH and testosterone responses to gonadotrophin-releasing hormone in adult red deer (Cervus elaphus) stags during the annual antler cycle

1988 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. F. Fennessy ◽  
J. M. Suttie ◽  
S. F. Crosbie ◽  
I. D. Corson ◽  
H. J. Elgar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Red Deer ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Reproductive Hormones ◽  
Sexual Cycle ◽  
Late Winter ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
Antler Growth ◽  
Velvet Antler ◽  
Antler Cycle ◽  
Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone

ABSTRACT Eight adult red deer stags were given an i.v. injection of synthetic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) on seven occasions at various stages of the antler cycle, namely hard antler in late winter, casting, mid-velvet growth, full velvet growth, antler cleaning and hard antler both during the rut and in mid-winter. The stags were allocated at random on each occasion to one of four doses, i.e. 1, 3, 10 or 95 μg GnRH. Blood samples were taken before GnRH injection and for up to 2 h after injection. Pituitary and testicular responses were recorded in terms of plasma LH and testosterone concentrations. There was an increase in plasma concentration of LH after the GnRH injection in all stags at all stages of the antler cycle. Dose-dependent responses of LH to GnRH in terms of area under the curve were apparent at all stages of the antler cycle. The lowest responses were recorded at casting, during velvet antler growth and at the rut sampling. The pattern of testosterone response reflected the inter-relationship of the antler and sexual cycles with very low testosterone responses occurring at casting and during velvet antler growth. The responses were higher at antler cleaning and then increased to a maximum at the rut before declining to reach their nadir at casting. The results are consistent with a hypothesis that the antler cycle, as a male secondary sexual characteristic, is closely linked to the sexual cycle and its timing is controlled by reproductive hormones. Low plasma concentrations of testosterone, even after LH stimulation, are consistent with the hypothesis that testosterone is unnecessary as an antler growth stimulant during growth. J. Endocr. (1988) 117, 35–41

scholarly journals Seasonal changes in mineral intake and first antler growth in Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus)

2007 ◽  
Vol 6 (sup1) ◽  
pp. 851-851
Author(s):  
L. Estévez ◽  
F. Ceacero ◽  
Landete Castillejos ◽  
A. J. García ◽  
D. Carrión ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Cervus Elaphus Hispanicus ◽  
Iberian Red Deer ◽  
Antler Growth

scholarly journals Pressure Algometry Validation and Determination of Efficacy of Articaine Hydrochloride Ring Block in Antler Removal in Red Deer (Cervus elaphus)

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2023
Author(s):  
Farzin Sahebjam ◽  
Kavitha Kongara ◽  
John Paul Chambers ◽  
Ruth Ellen Walker ◽  
Rafea Naffa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Red Deer ◽  
Analgesic Efficacy ◽  
Postoperative Pain Management ◽  
Surgical Removal ◽  
Nociceptive Response ◽  
Duration Of Action ◽  
Velvet Antler ◽  
Significant Difference

New Zealand deer farming centres on the production of meat and velvet antler. Velvet antler removal is a painful procedure and currently, New Zealand Animal Welfare regulations dictate surgical removal of velvet antlers under lignocaine anaesthesia. To improve our knowledge on the efficacy and duration of other local anaesthetics to mitigate pain after antler removal, it is important to accurately assess and quantify pain arising from antler removal. Therefore, the current study was designed to validate mechanical nociceptive threshold (MNT) testing using a Wagner hand-held algometer, and to apply this methodology to assess the efficacy and duration of action of articaine for antler removal in deer. Baseline force (N) required to elicit the nociceptive response was recorded in 40 yearling male red deer on three alternate days. Ten of the 40 animals were selected for antler removal after administration of 4% articaine hydrochloride as a ring block. The duration of analgesic efficacy of articaine was assessed by algometry across 5 time points. There was a significant difference in MNTs among the three days (day 3 versus day 1 (p < 0.0001), day 2 versus day 1 (p < 0.0001), and day 1 versus day 2 (p < 0.01)). Positive correlations were observed between weight, antler length and thresholds. The MNT values remained above 20N for 6 h after removal of velvet antlers under the articaine ring block. This study provides valuable information about the use of MNT in red deer. These findings lay a foundation for future studies in the topics of peri-operative and postoperative pain management in deer antler removal, and a possible alternative use for articaine.

Irrigation of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) in the Sudan

1981 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 569-578
Author(s):  
S. M. Farah
Keyword(s):  
Previous Experiment ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Early Growth ◽  
Hibiscus Cannabinus ◽  
The Other ◽  
Stages Of Growth ◽  
Early Maturing ◽  
Late Stages ◽  
Infiltration Method ◽  
Late Growth

SUMMARYIn one experiment during 1972 and 1973 five irrigation regimes of every 4, 6, 8 and 10 days and according to stomatal opening, as estimated by the infiltration method, were compared, using an early-maturing variety Zankawa and a late-maturing variety G51. In both experiments early crop growth was checked by the shortest and the longest irrigation intervals.Late growth, on the other hand, was promoted by the shortest intervals in both seasons. Thus the highest yield in 1972 was obtained from the 4–day regime, followed by the infiltration method, then progressively greater yields with shorter intervals. In 1973, however, the shortest interval resulted in the lowest yield, which was significantly less than the other treatments, which showed a similar trend to those of 1972.In a second experiment during 1974 and 1975 a medium-maturing variety 22/9/1 and a late–maturing variety 44/E were added to those of the previous experiment. Watering every 4 and 6 days were eliminated and watering every 12 days added, during the early growth period. Each of these regimes was given irrigation every 6, 8, 10 and 12 days during the late growth period. The early-maturing varieties yielded best when irrigated every 12 days in the early stages, and every 10 days in the late stages, whereas the late-maturing varieties yielded best when irrigated every 10–2 and 8 days in the early and late stages of growth, respectively.

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