PERFORMANCE OF WEANED RUSA (CERVUS-TIMORENSIS) DEER GIVEN CONCENTRATES OF VARYING PROTEIN-CONTENT WITH SORGHUM HAY

In 2, 18-week experiments, rusa deer (Cervus timorensis) initially wei ghing 22 kg, were given sorghum hay supplemented with concentrates con taining nominally 12, 17 or 20% protein. Hay was given ad libitum and the concentrates were offered at 2.8% (experiment 1) or 2.5% (experime nt 2) of liveweight daily. Concentrate contents in the diets as select ed averaged 88 and 74% lair-dry basis) in the final 3 weeks of experim ents 1 and 2. In experiment 1, males grew faster than females (163 v. 125 g/day; P = 0.0001), and deer given the 20% protein concentrate gre w significantly (P < 0.05) faster than the remainder. Stags given the 20% protein concentrate in experiment 2 grew more quickly (161 g/day), and had larger necks, greater body length and greater antler growth. The optimum diet protein content for growth in both male and female we aners may be 15% (dry matter basis), but higher protein contents may g ive earlier pedicle initiation and faster antler growth in males.