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M A Sain, K J Stutts, J K Suagee-Bedore, M J Anderson, J L Leatherwood, 22 Evaluation of a Starter Ration on Growth and Performance of White-Tailed Deer Fawns., Journal of Animal Science, Volume 96, Issue suppl_1, March 2018, Page 12, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/sky027.023
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Abstract
Until recently, there was not a ration available to the Texas white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) industry that was designed specifically for fawns. Common practice for pen-raised white-tailed deer breeders is to provide fawns with a ration that is formulated for mature deer. The objective of this study was to evaluate fawn growth and performance on this new ration formulated specifically for young, growing fawns. To achieve this, 40 white-tailed deer fawns from an established herd (3-S Ranch, Bedias, TX) were randomly assigned to one of two diets. Twenty fawns received the control diet (16% CP, 71.6 % TDN, 2.12 % Ca, 0.96 % P, and 0.47 % Mg) which was a pelleted feed formulated for mature deer when limited forbs and browse are available, and 20 fawns received the treatment diet (22% CP, 79.5 % TDN, 1.90 % Ca, 0.63 % P, and 0.31 % Mg) which was also a pelleted feed, but one specifically formulated for young, growing fawns. All fawns in the study were removed from their dams shortly after birth and were bottle-fed using a milk replacer for white-tailed deer according to ranch protocol. Feed was first offered when fawns were 14 d of age and feed intake was recorded daily through 140 d of age. Growth measurements including cannon length, leg length, body length, heart girth circumference, and BW were recorded every 2 wk from d 0 to 140. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS for the effects of time and diet and the time by diet interaction. Fawns consuming the treatment ration had a greater (P<0.05) mean heart girth circumference, but there was no effect of diet on cannon length, leg length, body length, or body weight. While there was little difference in growth characteristics of the fawns, there was a treatment effect on daily feed intake. Fawns consuming the control ration had a greater (P<0.001) mean daily intake than fawns consuming the treatment ration. These data reveal that there is an inconsequential difference in growth and performance of fawns consuming the two different rations; however, fawns required a greater daily intake of the less nutrient dense ration formulated for mature deer to achieve the same level of performance observed in the fawns consuming the fawn ration. In addition, these data indicate that white-tailed deer fawns may rely on metabolic signals to regulate feed intake.
