Nutrition of Northern White-Tailed Deer throughout the Year2

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Abstract
Five fawn white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus borealis), three females and two males, were studied for 15 consecutive months beginning at age 3 months. Each month they were subjected to digestion trials, nitrogen balances and energy balances using respiration calorimetry. The objective was to study age and season effects on feed intake, growth, nutrient utilization and energy requirements for body maintenance. A pelleted concentrate diet was fed free-choice throughout the experiment; diet crude protein percentage gradually was reduced with age to avoid gross imbalance in protein-to-energy ratio relative to estimated requirements. Body weight and rate of feed intake increased with age and were significantly affected by season. Partition of dietary energy and nutrient digestibility varied among months but not in a uniformly predictable manner. Changes in body protein and fat were not closely related to each other or to gain in body weight, but each varied markedly in apparent response to the deer's physiological status and environment. Protein intake appeared generally to be adequate for growth judged from the rate of excretion of urinary nitrogen. Net energyg required daily for body maintenance was 106±11, 97±10 and 125±30 kcal/kgW.75 for all 15 months, December through April (fawn “winter” period),and May through October (yearling “summer” period), respectively; corresponding daily metabolizable energy requirements for maintenance were 148±19, 153±21 and 162±53 kcal/kgW.75. Results were discussed in relation to environmental factors and previously-reported research. Copyright © 1977. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1977 by American Society of Animal Science.

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