Life History of the Moose (Alces alces): Fecundity Rates in Relation to Age and Carcass Weight

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Abstract
The study is based on data from reproductive tracts of moose cows collected from different parts of Norway from 1968 to 1976. Estimated fecundity rate (number of calves produced per female per year) was highest among 4½–5½ year-old cows. Age-specific variation in fecundity rate was greatest among the lightest cows. The number of 3½ year-old cows with pigmented scars present (assumed to represent previous births) was not related to the number of calves produced in that year of life. Furthermore, the number of corpora lutea present shows a positive relationship with the number of calves produced the current year. Thus, no indication was found of an inverse relationship between current reproductive performance and that for previous years.