Roe Deer Pregnancy

morena

Well-Known Member
Roe are a monoestrous species of deer.In season only once in a year.This is usually July/August.
The doe goes off patch finds a buck, lures him back to her area and then runs him ragged before mating.She normally goes around in a circle for a prolonged period before being mated. ( Evidenced by so called roe rings on the ground ) On a successful mating the blastocyst develops to the +/- 30 cell stage and then stops merely lying free in the uterus ( womb ).As a result of ovulating a corpus luteum ( yellow body ) is formed in the ovary. Note this is not a sign on pregnancy only that she has ovulated. During the last 6 weeks of the diapause, December/ January, the blastocyst elongates to the 100 cell stage. The conceptus ( Embryo plus associated membranes ) undergoes a period of rapid growth lasting 10-25 days. During this time a pregnancy associated glycoprotein ( PAG, a sugar attached to protein ) is produced by the conceptus. PAG production is inherent in the blastocyst without any triggering factor from the dam. However this PAG sets off a cascade leading to a dramatic increase in oestrodiol levels in the dam which is followed by implantation in the uterus and a successful pregnancy to birth April/May/June. Although sporadic reports of earlier births Pregnancy period 10 months.This enables the doe and young to have maximum nutrition available.
No cases of freemartinism has been reported in Roe in multiple births.

Orignal work by Lambert et al . Presented at various scientific congresses
 
Morena,

Thanks interesting read,

Following a very mild winter do you thing the does will be further on earlier this year, a form of compensation for last year...
I have stopped shooting does now due to various issues but i wondered if anyone has seen rather well on young from there cull animals.
Please note this question is not an invitation to show me or others pictures of developing young....

Can you tell me can roe become sexual active in their first year again natures way of making up for bad seasons.

regards,
thanks in advance,

f,
 
You do have to wonder how these things first came about!

They were designed by a pretty imaginative Creator. I have read a fair few alternative theories but none of them have convinced me otherwise. And there's a best seller written about it!
 
On the basis of this morning I'd say yes. Yearling doe, very early pregnancy (foetus about an inch and a half long, one buck one doe). They do well on this bit of ground.
 
Frank with out doubt yearlings can become pregnant it is nothing to do with compensation but basics have they reached the weight level what ever that is to put them in season for the rut .If the deer last year were suffering because of the bad weather then they are unlikely to make the cut off.
 
I have read about delayed implantation in roe, are any other mamals capable of this...... posibly stoats......
 
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