Growth trials for stags

Press, 21 July 1989, Page 17

Growth trials for stags

Trials aimed at encouraging stags to grow during the autumn, rather than use all their energy on sexual activity known as the rut, have begun at Massey University’s deer unit.

It is hoped the deer will grow bigger for slaughter by 20 months of age when the demand for venison in

the northern hemisphere winter is high. An animal scientist, Professor Tom Barry, said young stags would be vaccinated against producing the hormone testosterone, causing temporary castration over the autumn period of peak sexual activity. Other young stags would be vaccinated against melatonin, a substance produced in the brain which controlled the deer’s natural rhythm,

causing them to eat less during winter when daylight hours are short. The anti-melatonin and testosterone-suppressing vaccinations would encourage the deer to eat more and use less energy. The immuno-castration aspect of the project could have the added benefit of making the usually stroppy animals more docile and easy to handle. Studies looking at pastures which would be of benefit to lactating deer

were also about to start, said Professor Barry. Deer were usually raised on perennial ryegrass/white clover pastures used for sheep and cattle produciton. Because deer tended to be late calvers with peak demand for feed during lactation coinciding with summer drought in most areas, the nutritive value and climatic suitability of other pasture species were being looked at by Massey agronomists.