Is Weight at Birth a Good Predictor of Weight in Winter for Fallow Deer?

Abstract

Young fallow deer ( Dama dama ) held in captivity were weighed at birth and at the onset of winter to test if weight at birth predicted body weight in winter. A positive relationship was obtained between these two measurements. In previous studies, existence of compensatory growth, which accounts for the absence of relationship between these two measurements, was associated with good conditions encountered by populations. In this population, the absence of resource limitation suggested that level of polygyny might be a better predictor of the absence of compensatory growth during the first summer of life.