Productive behaviour of red deer (Cervus elaphus) relocated to the Neotropical Realm

Abstract

In 1994, a herd of red deer (Cervus elaphus) was introduced to Mexico from New Zealand; animals were distributed among 17 farms. Information was gathered from two farms situated in the Neotropical Realm, south of the Tropic of Cancer. Farm A is a research facility in the temperate highlands; Farm B is for extension purposes, in the dry tropics. Being at similar latitudes (20°47'N and 20°04'N, respectively), both have comparable pho‐toperiods. Their main differences are their altitudes and climates (1990 versus 40 m above sea level; 17.4 versus 25.0°C average temperature; 460–630 versus 1000–1100 mm annual rainfall, respectively). On Farm A, animals were either confined (30 weeks) in earth‐floor pens and fed on hay, or grazed (20 weeks) on a mixed irrigated pasture. Until 2000, they were neither vaccinated, nor drenched or supplemented. Breeding lasted 8–9 weeks in late autumn (single‐sire mating; groups of 12–25 hinds). The herd's fertility rate was 92%. Most calves (80%) were born during June, weighing 9.4 kg. On Farm B, animals grazed year round on a mixture of tropical pastures, supplemented with assorted feeds. They were vaccinated against clostridial diseases, shipping fever, and paralytic rabies; drenched quarterly and dipped for tick prevention twice a month. They mated under uncontrolled breeding management for 2.5 months; 81% gave birth within May and June. Fertility was 79%; calves weighed 7.2 kg. In general, deer in Farm B seemed to be in a comparatively better body condition, however their productive performance appeared to indicate otherwise. On both farms, deer had kept their characteristic reproductive seasonal‐ity, although the calving season tended to last longer than in their place of origin.