Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation

Research Compendium 1995

Research Project

1. SUMMER/AUTUMN NUTRITION OF DEER IN A MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT

Objective

• To investigate the effect of a long period of tagasaste grazing on both shrub and animal performance.
• To compare the values of tagasaste and lupins for dry male and female adult deer.
• To develop recommendations for the grazing management of tagasaste.

Background

In Mediterranean environments grazing livestock depend on dried-off pasture and cereal stubbles in the summer/autumn and high protein supplements. This can result in increased production above that expected from the inherent value of the supplement alone because of increased intake and/or utilisation of the basal feed. This may be of particular importance for the temperate breeds of deer which predominate in Australia, because of their lowered metabolic rate, feed intake and growth in winter.

Lupinseed is commonly used in WA for this purpose because of its high protein and energy content. However, there is a thriving export market for this feed and so the price is often much higher than cereal grains and hay on an equivalent energy basis. Another feed which has attracted considerable interest in WA and elsewhere in Australia is tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis).

Research

The first phase of the program was a simple 'cut and carry' experiment designed to compare the value of tagasaste as a supplement with the grains which are widely used at present. Although the preference was to use lupinseed as the reference grain because of its consistent feed value and wide use on deer properties in WA, this was not achievable because of conditions on the farm at the time.

The second phase was a major grazing study to observe if deer cause serious damage to tagasaste plants by bark stripping. Reports of differences between male and female deer suggested further investigation was required, as did the possibility of limiting plant damage by 'preconditioning' shrubs.

Outcomes

• Deer readily consume tagasaste in the cut form, with no evidence of poor palatability or of animal health problems;
• Using tagasaste as fresh cut branches for maintenance of live weight in male and female deer during autumn appears to be comparable to grain;
• Deer grazing tagasaste in summer can cause serious damage to shrubs by removing bark and causing lowered productivity and occasionally death of plants; and
• Cutting tagasaste to form 'broccoli' plants reduces the damage caused by grazing deer and extends the potential grazing period.

RIRDC Project No: UWA-14A

RESEARCHER: Dr Bruce Mackintosh

ORGANISATION: School of Agriculture (Animal Science)

University of Western Australia

PERTH WA 6009

PHONE: 09 380 1853

FAX: 09 380 1129

Last updated: 22 November 1996
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