Pellet morphometry as a tool to distinguish age and sex in the mule deer
Abstract 10.1002/zoo.10119.abs By examining the morphometry (i.e., length, width, length-to-width ratio, and volume) of pellets in three different categories (adult males, adult females, and yearlings) mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), we were able to distinguish via discriminant function and fuzzy clustering analyses the age and sex of these animals. To determine a priori the identity of […]
Effect of varying dietary starch and fiber levels and inoculum source (mule deer vs. dairy cow) on simulated rumen fermentation characteristics
This study measured starch and fiber digestion and microbial fermentation of three commercial exotic animal feeds using mule deer (MD) or dairy cow (DC) rumen inoculum. Diets were formulated to provide either high starch/low fiber (based on neutral detergent fiber fraction; NDF) with either alfalfa (diet A) or grain and oilseed byproducts (diet B) as […]