THE EFFECT OF MANAGEMENT-PRACTICES ON STRESS IN FARMED RED DEER (CERVUS-ELAPHUS) AND ITS MODULATION BY LONG-ACTING NEUROLEPTICS - BEHAVIORAL-RESPONSES

Eighteen red deer hinds were used to study the behavioural responses o ver a period of 10 weeks to three management practices which were expe cted to cause increasing levels of stress. The practices were herding, herding and handling and herding, handling and a veterinary procedure . One of three groups of six animals received a long-acting neurolepti c (LAN - perphenazine enanthate and zuclopenthixol acetate) in Weeks 1 , 5 and 9 of the experiment whilst the other groups were untreated. Th e LAN-treated and one of the untreated groups received the stressors i n sequence and one undisturbed group acted as a control. The siting of the paddocks in which the three groups were rotated had a marked effe ct on behaviour: the further the deer were from the handling area, the less stress-related behaviour they exhibited. In response to the mana gement procedures animals decreased their inactive lying and increased their moving activity. Based on behavioural responses the deer did no t appear to find the practices increasingly challenging. Behaviour typ e was the chief influence on interindividual distancing. Differences i n distancing between animals were most noticeable while the animals we re moving. LAN treatment promoted maintenance of a more normal activit y pattern when the animals were disturbed.