Oestrous cycle and breeding season of farmed fallow deer, Dama dama

Abstract

Oestrus was detected on 177 occasions in 34 fallow does for the duration of the breeding season. A total of 142 cycles had a mean length of 22.4 (± 1.3, s.d.) days). Cycle length increased and became more variable as the season proceeded but was not affected by doe age or liveweight. First oestrus occurred within a 12-day period, but the length of the breeding season, and therefore the number of oestrous cycles, was related to doe age. Serum progesterone profiles suggest that silent ovulations associated with short-lived corpora lutea, occurred before the first behavioural oestrus. Ovulations without oestrus may have also occurred at the end of the breeding season.