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Growth in the Reindeer

Tillväxten hos ren.

Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica volume 23, pages 603–618 (1982)Cite this article

Abstract

The growth of the reindeer from birth to adulthood is cumulative consisting of a rapid weight accretion during summers followed by a weight loss or stasis during winters. The birth weight of the newborn calves is about 5.3 kg. The peri- and neonatal growth rate is rather high, with a greatest individual daily weight gain as high as 400 g. The polynomial growth curve and its first order time derivative of calves show a deceleration of weight gain towards the autumn. The weight of calves at an age of 10 months was 36 to 40 kg. Adult body weight is reached by females at an age of 3 to 4 years and by males on average a year later. Serum alkaline phosphatase activity showed a negative linear correlation with age and weight in calves and it was highest both in calves and adults in summer. The creatine Phosphokinase activity in both calves and adults was higher in summer than in other seasons. Serum inorganic phosphorus was highest in the growing calves. On the other hand serum thyroxine (T4), blood glucose and calcium did not show significant age-dependent or seasonal variations.

Sammanfattning

Renens tillväxt från födseln till en vuxen ren är en kumulativ process och omfattar en snabb viktökning under sommaren. Därefter följer en period då vikten sjunker eller slutar öka under vintern. De nyfödda kalvarna väger ca 5,3 kg. Peri- och neonataltillväxtsiffran är relativt hög med en individuell viktökning upp till 400 g/dag. Den polynomiska tillväxtkurvan och dess första derivat, visar hos kalvarna en avtagande trend mot hösten. En fullvuxen rens kroppsvikt nås av vajor i 4–5 årsålder och av tjurar i genomsnitt ett år senare. Alkalin-fosfatasaktiviteten av serum visade en negativ linear korrelation tili aider och vikt hos kalvarna och var störst på sommaren både hos kalvar och vuxna renar. Kreatinfosfokinasaktiviteten var högre på sommaren både hos kalvar och vuxna än under övriga arstider. Å andra sidan visade serumets tyroxin (T4)-, blodsocker- och kalcium-halt inte vara signifikant beroende av årstidernas variering.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    J. Timisjärui, M. Nieminen, K. Roine, M. Koskinen & H. Laaksonen

  2. Division of Reindeer Research, Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Rovaniemi, Finland

    J. Timisjärui, M. Nieminen, K. Roine, M. Koskinen & H. Laaksonen

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hautjärvi, Finland

    J. Timisjärui, M. Nieminen, K. Roine, M. Koskinen & H. Laaksonen

  4. Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Oulu, Kajaanintie 52 A, Oulu, SF-90220, Finland

    J. Timisjärui, M. Nieminen, K. Roine, M. Koskinen & H. Laaksonen

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Timisjärui, J., Nieminen, M., Roine, K. et al. Growth in the Reindeer. Acta Vet Scand 23, 603–618 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03546779

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Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica

ISSN: 1751-0147