Abstract
This study was designed to determine the effect of winter nutritional stress on maternal and neonatal behavior during the first 3 days after parturition. A total of 45 penned deer were subjected to three levels of winter nutrition at 7–10, 19–22, and 31–34 months of age. Parturition occurred when does were about 24 and 36 months old. Maternal and fawn behaviors were observed during parturition and during random 1-h periods up to 3 days after birth. The most common form of postnatal fawn mortality resulted from a maternal rejection syndrome including failure to lick fawns at birth, fear of neonates, failure to eat the afterbirth, and refusal to nurse fawns despite the presence of milk in the udder. Since winter nutritional stress in common for deer on northern ranges, this behavioral syndrome may function as an effective method of population control.
Published Version
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