title: Factors affecting reproductive performance of white-tailed deer subjected to fixed-time artificial insemination or natural mating.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of several factors affecting fawning rate, litter size, litter weight and neonatal fawn mortality in white-tailed deer inseminated either transcervically or by means of laparoscopy. Oestrus synchronisation with a controlled internal drug release (CIDR)-based protocol and fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI) was conducted in 130 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus texanus) during three reproductive seasons (2007-2009; 271 services) in a game-hunting ranch in a hot-arid environment (26°4' N, 101°25' W). Ninety additional non-treated does were exposed to bucks for natural mating. Fawning rate did not differ between AI methods (40.0 vs 45.0% for transcervical and laparoscopic AI, respectively). Overall fawning rate (proportion of all does fawning after FTAI and a subsequent period of buck exposure) did not differ between transcervical (89.5%), laparoscopic (80.3%) or natural (88.9%) insemination. Litter size per fawning doe was higher (P<0.05) in naturally-served does (1.65±0.48) than in transcervically-inseminated does (1.40±0.51) or in laparoscopically-inseminated does (1.48±0.50). The main conclusion was that no enhancement of fawning rate or litter size occurred as a result of intrauterine deposition of semen by laparoscopy compared with the transcervical insemination technique.
authors: Autonomous Agrarian University Antonio Narro, Department of Animal Nutrition, Saltillo 25315, Mexico. mmellbosq@yahoo.com
authors: Miguel
authors: M
authors: Mellado
authors: Claudia G
authors: CG
authors: Orta
authors: Eloy A
authors: EA
authors: Lozano
authors: Jose E
authors: JE
authors: García
authors: Francisco G
authors: FG
authors: Veliz
authors: Angeles
authors: A
authors: de Santiago
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight; D003670:Deer / Q000502:physiology*; D003889:Desert Climate; D005260:Female; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D011247:Pregnancy; D012098:Reproduction; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D014887:Weather