Abstract
Farmed red deer (Cervus elaphus) are highly seasonal animals and thus the majority of venison is available during the autumn and winter months. To compete with other red meats, alternative marketing systems for venison need to be developed. Previous ADAS trials have shown that red deer can be finished intensively at 10-12 months of age by extending day length (Davies et al, 1995) but it incurs increased feed costs. An alternative strategy to lower production costs is to reduce growth rates and finish deer at 24-26 months of age. Preliminary trials have shown (Davies and Deakin 1998) that silage only diets, during the second winter, are not sufficient to maintain body weight and a small supplement is required. However the type of supplement needs further investigation. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of feeding high energy and protein diets to yearling deer during their second winter, on winter growth and subsequent performance at grass.
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