Estimating Food Intake by Observing Mastications by Tractable Deer

Abstract

Six confined deer were fed weighed parts of different plant species collected in southwestern Virginia and the number of mastications required to consume the material was determined. Mastications to consume a gram of plant material differed significantly by plants and by animals, and there was a significant interaction. In general, succulent plant parts required fewer mastications than did fibrous plant parts. Nineteen samples would estimate to within 20% of the mean number of mastications per gram at the 95% confidence level for the animal and plant exhibiting the greatest variation during winter. More samples would be required during spring for sampling fibrous plant parts and fewer for sampling succulent plant parts.