Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T04:32:19.345Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Photoperiodic requirements for rapid growth in young male red deer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. R. Webster ,
I. D. Corson ,
R. P. Littlejohn ,
S. K. Stuart  and
J. M. Suttie
J. R. Webster
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
I. D. Corson
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
R. P. Littlejohn
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
S. K. Stuart
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
J. M. Suttie
Affiliation:
AgResearch, Invermay Agricultural Centre, Private Bag 50034, Mosgiel, New Zealand
Get access

Abstract

Winter growth of young male red deer can be increased by exposure to 16 h of light (L) and 8 h of dark (D) per day (16L: 8D). This study tested the duration of photoperiod required for this growth response, determined if the time to reach slaughter weight can be reduced and monitored plasma IGF-1, prolactin and reproductive development. Fifty male calves were allocated to five equal groups. Four groups were housed indoors and for 33 weeks from the winter solstice (22 June, southern hemisphere) until 11 February were placed under either 16L: 8D (16L), 13·25L: 10·75D (13L), 10·751:13·25D (111) or 8L: 16D (8L) photoperiods. The fifth group of deer (OC) remained outside in a gravelled enclosure. All groups were given a pelleted diet ad libitum. Group food intake was recorded daily, individual live weight was measured weekly and testes diameter and blood samples taken at weekly or 2-week intervals.

Plasma prolactin concentrations in 16L increased within 4 weeks of treatment and were different (P < 0·001) between groups from 14 August to 4 September. IGF-1 increased in both 16L and 13L 4 weeks after treatments and then increased further in 16L above that of 13L (P < 0·01). All groups grew at the same rate for the first 7 weeks. 16L then gained more weight (P < 0·001) than the other groups over the next 19 weeks (50·7 kg v. 38·5 for 13L, 35·7 for 11L, 37·0 for 8L and 37·4 for OC; s.e.d. 3·76). Food intake was positively related to growth rate in a similar way among the inside groups (P < 0·001), however there was a higher energy requirement outdoors (P < 0·05). A target live weight for slaughter of 95 kg was reached 7 weeks earlier for 16L than the other groups (P < 0·01). Testes diameter of 16L was larger than in the other groups from 13 November until 24 December (P < 0·001). The growth oflSL slowed from 1 January while that of OC increased and the live weight ofOC was equal to 16L by the end of the experiment. OC also had the largest testes diameter from 5 February onwards (P < 0·01). The live-weight increase in OC was associated with increases in both prolactin and IGF-1 levels.

This study confirmed that 16L: 8D stimulates rapid growth of young male red deer during winter for sufficient time to achieve an earlier slaughter date. The live-weight advantage was lost by late summer however. The increased growth rate was mediated by food intake and associated with increases in IGF-1 and prolactin and earlier reproductive development. Photoperiods of 13 h of light per day or less did not stimulate growth and increases in IGF-1 and prolactin were of a lower amplitude than under 16L: 8D.

Keywords

growth ratephotoperiodprolactinred deersomatomedin
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 67 , Issue 2 , October 1998 , pp. 363 - 370
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1998

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

Adam, C. L., Kyle, C. E. and Young, P. 1996. Seasonal patterns of growth, voluntary food intake and plasma concentrations of prolactin, insulin-like growth factor-1, LH and gonadal steroids in male and female pre-pubertal red deer (Cervus elaphus) reared in either natural photoperiod or constant daylength. Animal Science 62: 605–613.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asher, G. W., Muir, P. D., Semiadi, G., O'Neill, K. T., Scott, I. C. and Barry, T. N. 1997. Seasonal patterns of luteal cyclicity in young red deer (Cervus elaphus) and sambar deer (Cervus unicolor). Reproduction, Fertility and Development 9: 587–596.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Box, G. E. P. and Jenkins, G. M. 1970. Time series analysis, forecasting and control. Holden-Day, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Brown, W. B., Forbes, J. M., Goodall, E. D., Kay, R. N. B. and Simpson, A. M. 1979. Effects of photoperiod on food intake, sexual condition and hormone concentrations in stags and rams. Journal of Physiology 296:58–59P.Google ScholarPubMed
Bubenik, G. A., Bubenik, A. B., Schams, D. and Leatherland, J. F. 1983. Circadian and circannual rhythms of LH, FSH, testosterone (T), prolactin, cortisol, T3 and T4 in plasma of mature, male white-tailed deer. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 76A: 37–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curlewis, J. D., Loudon, A. S. I., Milne, J. A. and McNeilly, A. S. 1988. Effects of chronic long-acting bromocriptine treatment on liveweight, voluntary food intake, coat growth and breeding season in non-pregnant red deer hinds. Journal of Endocrinology 119:413–420.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davies, M. H., Parkinson, T. J., Douthwaite, J. A. and Deakin, D. W. 1995. Effect of extended photoperiod on appetite, growth and reproductive endocrinology in red deer stag calves. Animal Science 60:539 (abstr.).Google Scholar
Fennessy, P. F. 1982. Growth and nutrition. In The farming of deer. World trends and modern techniques (ed. Yerex, D.), pp. 105–114. Agricultural Promotion Associates Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Hunter, W. M. and Greenwood, F. C. 1962. Preparation of iodine-131 labelled human growth hormone of high specific activity. Nature 194:495–496.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kay, R. N. B. 1979. Seasonal changes of appetite in deer and sheep. ARC Research Reviews 5:13–15.Google Scholar
Kenward, M. G. 1987. A method for comparing profiles of repeated measurements. Applied Statistics 36:296–308.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lincoln, G. A. 1971. The seasonal reproductive changes in the red deer stag (Cervus elaphus). Journal of Zoology 163: 105–123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Loudon, A. S. I. 1994. Photoperiod and the regulation of annual and circannual cycles of food intake. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 53:495–507.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Loudon, A. S. I. and Brinklow, B. R. 1992. Reproduction in deer: adaptations for life in seasonal environments. In The biology of deer (ed. Brown, R. D.), pp. 261–278. Springer-Verlag, New York.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milne, J. A., Loudon, A. S. I., Sibbald, A. M., Curlewis, J. D. and McNeilly, A. S. 1990. Effects of melatonin and a dopamine agonist and antagonist on seasonal changes in voluntary intake, reproductive activity and plasma concentrations of prolactin and tri-iodothyronine in red deer hinds. journal of Endocrinology 125:241–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, L. G. and Mylek, M. E. 1993. A novel method for the extraction of sheep insulin-like growth factors-I and -II from plasma prior to radioimmunoassay. Journal of Endocrinology 137: 239–245.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryg, M. and Jacobsen, E. 1982. Effects of thyroid hormones and prolactin on food intake and weight changes in young male reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). Canadian Journal of Zoology 60:1562–1567.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, A. M., Suttie, J. M. and Kay, R. N. B. 1983/1984. The influence of artificial photoperiod on the growth, appetite and reproductive status of male red deer and sheep. Animal Reproduction Science 6:291–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suttie, J. M. and Corson, I. D. 1991. Deer growth and production: a review. Proceedings of the Deer Branch of the New Zealand Veterinary Association, vol. 8, pp. 53–67.Google Scholar
Suttie, J. M., Corson, I. D. and Fennessy, P. F. 1984. Voluntary intake, testis development and antler growth patterns of male red deer under a manipulated photoperiod. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 44:167–170.Google Scholar
Suttie, J. M., Corson, I. D., Gluckman, P. D. and Fennessy, P. F. 1991a. Insulin-like growth factor 1, growth and body composition in red deer stags. Animal Production 53: 237–242.Google Scholar
Suttie, J. M., Fennessy, P. F., Corson, I. D., Laas, F. J., Crosbie, S. F., Butler, J. H. and Gluckman, P. D. 1989. Pulsatile growth hormone, insulin-like growth factors and antler development in red deer (Cervus elaphus scoticus) stags. Journal of Endocrinology 121:351–360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suttie, J. M. and Kay, R. N. B. 1985. Influence of plane of winter nutrition on plasma concentrations of prolactin and testosterone and their association with voluntary food intake in red deer stags (Cervus elaphus). Animal Reproduction Science 8:247–258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suttie, J. M. and Simpson, A. M. 1985. Photoperiodic control of appetite, growth, antlers and endocrine status of red deer. In Biology of deer production (ed. Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R.), pp. 429–432. The Royal Society of New Zealand, Wellington.Google Scholar
Suttie, J. M. and Webster, J. R. 1995. Extreme seasonal growth in arctic deer: comparisons and control mechanisms. American Zoologist 35:215–221.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suttie, J. M., White, R. G., Breier, B. H. and Gluckman, P. D. 1991b. Photoperiod associated changes in insulin-like growth factor-I in reindeer. Endocrinology 129:679–682.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Suttie, J. M., White, R. G., Manley, T. R., Breier, B. H., Gluckman, P. D., Fennessy, P. F. and Woodford, K. 1993. Insulin-like growth factor 1 and growth seasonally in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) — comparisons with temperate and tropical cervids. Rangifer 13:91–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, J. 1973. The analysis of designed experiments with censored observations. Biometrics 29:35–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webster, J. R., Corson, I. D., Littlejohn, R. P., Stuart, S. K. and Suttie, J. M. 1996. Effects of season and nutrition on growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I in male red deer. Endocrinology 137:698–704.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Webster, J. R., Corson, I. D., Littlejohn, R. P. and Suttie, J. M. 1997a. Increased winter growth in male red deer calves under an extended photoperiod. Animal Science 65: 305–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webster, J. R., Corson, I. D. and Suttie, J. M. 1997b. The effect of housing and food restriction during winter on growth of male red deer calves. Animal Science 64:171–176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar