A cross-sectional study of reproductive indices and fawn mortality in farmed white-tailed deer.
Data were obtained from a questionnaire administered to a random sample of Canadian and United States white-tailed deer (WTD) farmers. Reproductive indices and survival of fawns from birth until 1 y of age were examined. Major factors in limiting herd increase were a low reproductive rate (88 fawns per 100 does exposed to bucks) and a 30% mortality of fawns from birth until 1 y of age. The latter figure differs from reported mortality rates in fallow deer and red deer/wapiti. The unacceptably high neonatal mortality on WTD farms was determined to be as important to herd productivity as failure to produce a live fawn. Industry wide, "benchmark" estimates of reproductive performance, mortality rates, and productivity are provided, allowing farmers to compare their herds against these "benchmarks" to identify areas needing improvement.
Haigh
Jerry
J
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon.
Berezowski
John
J
Woodbury
Murray R
MR
D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D019985:Benchmarking; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003670:Deer; D005260:Female; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology