The effect of castration on some muscles of red deer(Cervus Elaphus L.)

Abstract

Individual muscles were dissected from the forequarter and hindquarter regions of four castrate and four entire male red deer, aged 27 months, just before the rut. Six forequarter muscles were found to be significantly lighter as a proportion of total side weight in castrates, and four hindquarter muscles were heavier. Overall, the total dissected forequarter muscles were proportionately 7% lighter(P<0.01) in castrates and the total hindquarter muscles were 7% heavier (P<0.05). Castrates also had significantly lighter heads than entire males(P<0.05). © 1981 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.