Skip to content

Red Deer Reproduction and Antler Quality Were More Closely Linked to Feed Type Than Amount

Adult red deer stag with large antlers and hinds
Research · Ecology

In eight managed red deer (Cervus elaphus) herds in Vojvodina, Serbia, the composition of supplemental feed was more closely tied to reproduction, population growth and antler quality than the total amount of feed provided. Natural forage productivity was also linked to these outcomes, so both supplemental-feed composition and naturally available food were part of the observed pattern.

The study combined ten years of deer counts, calf surveys, hunting records and detailed feeding logs from eight management units. Satellite-based measures of vegetation productivity were used to track the amount and quality of natural forage available across years.

Feed composition mattered more than total tonnage

Total supplemental-feed tonnage did not clearly explain the outcomes in the best-supported models. Feed composition, however, repeatedly appeared in the results. Annual population growth was lower at higher herd density, while some combinations of supplemental feed — including deer pellets and salt — were associated with higher growth.

Turnips and natural forage were linked to calf production

Female reproduction showed one of the clearest food-specific patterns. Herds given more turnips in the previous year had more weaned calves per hind, and turnip also showed a positive relationship with suckling-calf numbers in several analyses. More productive natural vegetation during the previous summer or year was likewise linked to higher calf production.

One feed result was less straightforward: more deer pellets were associated with higher overall population growth but with fewer suckling calves recorded. The authors suggest this could reflect dominant stags defending feeding stations—where annual surveys were also conducted—making hinds with calves less visible, or a real difference in access to feed; the observational data cannot distinguish these explanations.

Antler quality followed a different pattern

Antler quality showed a different pattern. Management units that supplied more corn cob in the current year had a lower proportion of harvested stags with trophy-quality antlers. By contrast, greater natural forage productivity in the previous year was linked to a higher trophy proportion. The authors note that corn-rich diets can contribute to acidosis in cervids and that mild acidosis has previously been proposed as a cause of reduced antler growth, but this study did not test that mechanism directly.

These results come from long-term observational records rather than an experiment, so the associations do not by themselves prove that individual feed types caused the changes. The study nevertheless shows why the composition of supplemental feeding and the condition of natural forage need to be considered separately from the sheer tonnage of food supplied to managed red deer herds.

Sources and image credit

  1. Wisely, S. M., Botero-Cañola, S., Prokić, V., et al. (2026). Forage availability and quality of supplemental feeding impact red deer reproduction and trophy value in Serbian red deer.Primary research article published 27 July 2026. Ten years of records from eight red deer management units in Vojvodina linked feed composition and natural forage productivity with population growth, calf production and trophy-quality antlers, while total supplemental-feed tonnage was not significant in the best-supported models.

Image: Adult red deer stag (Cervus elaphus) with fully developed antlers and hinds at Margam Deer Park, Wales, United Kingdom, 3 October 2011. Photo: Mick Lobb / Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 2.0. Representative species image; not animals from the Serbian study. · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

Ecology

SPECIES IN THIS STORY

Species in this story

Red Deer Cervus elaphus Explore species

Independent research and conservation news archive

Did you find this information useful?

Wildlife Vagabond is independently built and maintained. Voluntary support helps cover source verification, hosting and continued work on research and conservation news.

Support Wildlife Vagabond

The news archive will remain freely available.