Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T03:24:52.267Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Growth and body composition of entire and castrated fallow bucks (Dama dama) treated with zeranol

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

R. C. Mulley ,
A. W. English ,
J. M. Thompson ,
R. M. Butterfield  and
P. Martin
R. C. Mulley
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Health, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
A. W. English
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Health, University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
J. M. Thompson
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, New England University, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
R. M. Butterfield
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
P. Martin
Affiliation:
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
Get access

Abstract

A 2 × 2 factorial experimental design was used to compare growth in entire and castrated fallow bucks, implanted with zeranol at 6 and 9 months of age, or left as controls (no. = 10 per group). Growth pattern at pasture was assessed using 10-monthly growth periods from weaning (6 months) to 17 months. There were no overall castration or zeranol effects on growth rates from weaning to 17 months (P > 0·05), although there were significant interactions of zeranol and castration with time (P < 0·05). Zeranol-treated animals grew faster than the controls from 6 to 14 months, compared with the last 3 months (P < 0·05), indicating that the zeranol implants given at 6 and 9 months of age were no longer effective over the last 3 months of the experiment. The interaction between castration and time was significant (P < 0·05), whereby entire males grew relatively faster than the castrated males in both spring and the average of the winter and spring periods, whilst there was little difference in growth rates between entire and castrated males during the autumn period.

At 17 months of age all animals were slaughtered following a 16-hfast. Entire bucks were 46g/kg live weight and 56 g/kg carcass weight heavier than the castrated bucks at slaughter (P < 0·05), although there was no effect of zeranol treatment on either live or carcass weights (P > 0·05). The mean dressing proportion for deer in all groups was 0·61.

A subset of each treatment (no. = 5) were slaughtered and half carcasses dissected into muscle, bone and fat. When compared at the same carcass weight, both castration and treatment with zeranol significantly reduced the muscle weight and increased carcass fat weight (P < 0·05). There was no effect of either castration or zeranol treatment on the distribution of primal cuts. There were significant castration × zeranol interactions (P < 0·05) for muscle: bone and muscle: fat ratios, the entire control group having the highest muscle: bone and muscle: fat ratios.

It was concluded that there is little commercial basis for the use of the growth promotant zeranol in fallow bucks being grown for venison. Although castration resulted in lower carcass weights and muscle proportion, these disadvantages should be considered against the management advantages of easier handling and lower bruising of castrates.

Keywords

carcass compositioncastrationfallow deergrowthzeranol
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 63 , Issue 1 , August 1996 , pp. 159 - 165
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Asher, G. W. 1985. Meat production from fallow deer. In Biology of deer production (ed. Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R.), The Royal Society of New Zealand, bulletin 22, pp. 299–301.Google Scholar
Asher, G. W. 1986. Studies on the reproduction of farmed fallow deer (Dama dama). Ph.D. thesis, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Asher, G. W. 1988. Reproduction. In Progressive fallow farming (ed. Allen, P. L. and Asher, G. W.), M. A. F., Ruakura Agricultural Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Asher, G. W., Day, A. M. and Barrell, G. K. 1987. Annual cycle of liveweight and reproductive changes of farmed fallow deer (Dama dama) and the effect of daily oral administration of melatonin in summer on the attainment of seasonal fertility. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 79: 353–362.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berg, R. T. and Butterfield, R. M. 1976. New concepts of cattle growth. Sydney University Press, Sydney.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L., Kay, R. N. B., Sharman, G. A. M., Cunningham, J. M. M. and Hamilton, W. J. 1974. Farming the red deer. Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Brannang, E. 1971. Studies on monozygous cattle twins. XXII. The effect of castration and age of castration on the development of single muscles, bones and special sex characters. Part 2. Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research 1: 69–82.Google Scholar
Butterfield, R. M. 1988. New concepts of sheep growth. Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Sydney.Google Scholar
Butterfield, R. M., Griffiths, D. A., Thompson, J. M., Zamora, J. and James, A. M. 1983. Changes in body composition relative to weight and maturity in large and small strains of Australian Merino rams. 1. Muscle, bone and fat. Animal Production 36: 29–37.Google Scholar
Butterfield, R. M., Zamora, J., Thompson, J. M., Reddacliffe, K. J. and Griffiths, D. A. 1984. Changes in body composition relative to weight and maturity of Australian Dorset Horn rams and wethers. 1. Carcass muscle, fat and bone and body organs. Animal Production 39: 251–258.Google Scholar
Drew, K. R. 1985. Meat production from farmed deer. In Biology of deer production (ed. Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R.), The Royal Society of New Zealand, bulletin 22, pp. 285–290.Google Scholar
Drew, K. R., Fennessy, P. F. and Greer, G. J. 1978. The growth and carcass characteristics of entire and castrate red stags. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 38: 142–144.Google Scholar
Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R. 1987. Meat production from farmed deer. The Federal Deerbreeder 6: 16–21.Google Scholar
Field, R. A. 1970. Effect of castration on meat quality and quantity. Journal of Animal Science 32: 849–858.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Field, R. A., Young, O. A., Asher, G. W. and Foote, D. M. 1985. Characteristics of male fallow deer muscle at a time of sex-related muscle growth. Growth 49: 190–201.Google Scholar
Gregson, J. E. and Purchas, R. W. 1985. The carcass composition of male fallow deer. In Biology of deer production (ed. Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R.). The Royal Society of New Zealand, bulletin 22, pp. 295–298.Google Scholar
Hogg, B. W., Catcheside, L. M. and Mercer, G. J. K. 1990. Carcass composition in male fallow deer: age and castration effects on dissected tissue distribution. Animal Production 51: 405–413.Google Scholar
Kay, R. N. B., Sharman, G. A. M., Hamilton, W. J., Goodall, E. D., Pennie, K. and Courts, A. G. P. 1981. Carcass characteristics of young red deer farmed on hill pasture. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 96: 79–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCall, J. E. 1985. The carcass composition and meat quality of male fallow deer. M.Agr.Sc. thesis. Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Mulley, R. C. 1984. The reproductive performance offallow deer in New South Wales. The Post-Graduate Committee in Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, proceedings 72, pp. 461–478.Google Scholar
Mulley, R. C. and English, A. W. 1985. The effects of castration of fallow deer (Dama dama) on body growth and venison production. Animal Production 41: 359–361.Google Scholar
Mulley, R. C. and English, A. W. 1991. Fallow deer carcass production. In Proceedings of a deer coursefor veterinarians, no. 8 (ed. Wilson, P. R.), New Zealand Veterinary Association (Deer Branch), Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Tan, G. Y. and Fennessy, P. F. 1981. The effect of castration on some muscles of red deer (Cervus elaphus L). New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 24: 1–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wallace, V. and Davies, A. S. 1985. Pre- and post-rut body composition of red deer stags. In Biology of deer production (ed. Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R.), The Royal Society of New Zealand, bulletin 22, pp. 291–293.Google Scholar