Growth and carcass production of young farmed deer grazing sulla ( Hedysarum coronarium ), chicory ( Cichorium intybus ), or perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne )/white clover ( Trifolium repens ) pasture in New Zealand

Abstract Liveweight gain, voluntary feed intake, and carcass production were compared for pure red and hybrid (0.75 red: 0.25 elk) deer calves grazing sulla ( Hedysarum coronarium cv. Necton), chicory ( Cichorium intybus cv. Grasslands Puna), or perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne cv. Nui)/white clover ( Trifolium repens cv. Huia) pasture from weaning in March to slaughter in December of the same year, at approx one year of age. Organic matter digestibility (OMD) of diet selected was similar for all forages during autumn, but OMD of chicory (88.4%) was greater than both sulla (78.3%) and pasture (83.8%) during spring (P < 0.05). Sulla diet selected contained 5.1% condensed tannin (CT) in autumn and 8.4% CT in spring ( P < 0.05); pasture and chicory contained 0.14–0.26% CT. VFI of deer grazing sulla was greater than for deer grazing chicory in autumn (2027 versus 1014 g OM d −1 ; P = 0.07), but not spring (2029 versus 2251 g OM d −1 ). In autumn, deer gained 293 g d −1 on sulla, 218 g d −1 on pasture ( P < 0.01), and 183 g d −1 on chicory ( P < 0.001). In winter, deer gained 150 g d −1 on sulla and 133 g d −1 on pasture. Final liveweight of deer grazing sulla was 106 kg, which was significantly higher than 97 kg for deer on pasture or 95 kg for deer on chicory ( P < 0.01). Deer grazing sulla had greater carcass weights (59.9 kg) than deer grazing pasture (52.3 kg) or chicory (52.1 kg) ( P < 0.01 hinds; P< 0.05 stags). Hybrid stags had significantly greater carcass weights than red stags (64.1 kg versus 56.3 kg; P < 0.01) and hybrid hinds (52.8 kg; P < 0.001). It was concluded that the increased growth and carcass weight of young deer grazing sulla was caused by a higher feeding value of sulla, with a component of this being increased utilisation of digested nutrients.