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Nutritional Requirements and Management Strategies for Farmed Deer - Review - |
H. T. Shin, R. J. Hudson, X. H. Gao, J. M. Suttie |
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Abstract |
Knowledge concerning the nutritional requirements and nutritional problems of farmed deer is limited. Nutritional recommendations must be based on data from domestic ruminants and farmed deer. An understanding of the biology and adaptative characteristics of wild deer is essential for sensible application of sheep and cattle nutritional principles. Nutritional requirements of deer are generally separated into five categories: energy, protein, minerals, vitamins and water. Research on deer nutrition has primarily focused on energy, protein and minerals (phosphorus and calcium). Changes in the nutritional requirements that occur with gestation, lactation, breeding and antler growth should be coordinated with seasonal changes in nutrient availability from forage plants. This paper describes aspects of current knowledge of energy, protein, minerals, vitamins and water requirements. Nutritional problems of farmed deer are described with recommendations for prevention or control. A comparison of production efficiency of deer, lamb, beef cattle and dairy cattle is included. |
Keywords:
Nutritional Requirements; Management Strategies; Farmed Deer |
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