Abstract
Behavioural characteristics of the mother-offspring bond were investigated in two groups of 20 wild caught red deer ( Cervus elaphus) hinds and their calves. One group (FW) grazed with ten farmed hinds while the other group (W) grazed alone. The duration of suckling was similar in both groups ( P>0.05). The wild hinds of the two groups exhibited different behaviour whilst suckling. While calves were less than 21 days old, hinds of Group W licked their calves less often than did hinds of Group FW ( P<0.05). Hinds of Group W also spent more of the suckling bout alert ( P<0.05). Between Days 31 and 80 the grazing frequency of the calves of Group W was lower ( P<0.05). It is concluded that, in a semiintensive farming situation, the behaviour of wild caught hinds and their calves may be modified by the presence of farmed hinds and their calves in a way which helps strengthen the mother-offspring bond.
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