Detailed Explanation of Key Management Techniques for Does During the Breeding Period

After the beginning of autumn comes the breeding, gestation and lactation period for does, and artificial rearing management must be tracked in place from beginning to end to ensure the economic benefits of artificial @#@253@#@.

1. Organizing the doe herd before mating

Before mating, does that are infertile, have vicious habits, are too old, or have serious diseases and no breeding value should first be removed from the herd. And according to blood relationships, age groups and health conditions, etc., form a breeding core herd, a general breeding herd, and a first-mating doe herd. A breeding group should preferably consist of 15 to 30 does. The body condition of does has an important influence on speeding up the mating progress and raising the conception rate; during the mating period, a medium body condition is best for does. Doe herds with good nutrition come into estrus early and have high conception rates and twin rates.

2. Properly arranging doe mating

Does reach sexual maturity at 1.5 years of age, but the suitable mating age should be 2.5 years. The suitable breeding period for deer is from late August to November. Does come into estrus once every 18 to 24 days, each time lasting 1 to 4 days. Breeding bucks should be selected as robust individuals that grow fast, produce much velvet, have strong disease resistance and stable heredity; generally, 1 breeding buck is placed with every 15 to 20 does. After a doe comes into estrus, she should be placed with the buck for mating in good time, and mating should be carried out 2 to 3 times in succession.

3. Careful management during gestation

The gestation period of does is 7 and a half months. In early gestation, the fetus grows relatively slowly; as the fetus grows, the doe's uterus gradually enlarges and her body weight also keeps increasing; in late gestation, multiparous does can gain 10 to 15 kg, and primiparous does gain 15 to 20 kg. In early and mid gestation, does should be appropriately fed green roughage, and in late gestation the proportion of calcium in the diet should be increased, choosing feed that is small in volume, good in quality, highly palatable and easy to digest. In winter and early spring, during the season when green feed is lacking, 1.0 to 1.5 kg of succulent feed such as carrots and green vegetable leaves should be supplementarily fed every day. For bucks during the mating period and the velvet-growing period, and for does during gestation and lactation, the amounts of concentrate, minerals and succulent feed should be appropriately increased.

4. Making good preparations for assisted delivery

Pregnant does begin giving birth successively in early May. Whether does can give birth normally and whether the newborn fawns can survive healthily directly affects the development of the deer herd and the economic benefits of deer farming. Therefore, the prenatal behavior of does and the birthing process should be observed in good time, and preparations for nursing newborn fawns should be made well.

5. Ensuring adequate nutrition during lactation

The lactation period of does averages 3 months. After giving birth, the doe's milk yield gradually increases, generally reaching a peak within 30 to 45 days after birth and lasting 45 to 50 days, after which it gradually declines. Therefore, during lactation, does must be supplemented with complete feed such as protein, energy, minerals and vitamins to increase milk yield.