We examined the growth, reproduction, rutting behavior, and health status of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor brookei) in secondary Acacia mangium plantation. The data were collected over 11 years from a breeding herd of 21 stags and 33 hinds in Sabal Forest Reserve, Sarawak, Malaysia. Brody's growth model of the pooled data is Y t  = 148.56 (1 - 0.98e(-0.023t)), which estimates that maximum weights of adults are 184 and 115 kg for males and females respectively. Sambar deer are nonseasonal breeders with the breeding peak in February. Although the earliest age at which a female reached sexual maturity was 11 months, the mean age was 23 ± 7 months. Mean age of first fawning was 32 ± 8 months. Mean gestation period was 259 ± 12 days (n = 82). Stags shed antlers mostly between March and July. Velvet hardens at 103 ± 27 days (n = 23), and velvet harvesting is best at 7-9 weeks when antler length is 25-30 cm. Sambar deer are suitable as a farm species in forest plantations and have a vast potential to uplift rural living standards.

The quality of venison from farmed deer were evaluated based on chemical composition, palatability scores, W-B shear force, ultimate pH, and color. The samples of venison were derived from javan rusa (Cervus timorensis russa), moluccan rusa (Cervus timorensis moluccensis), sambar (Cervus unicolor brookei), fallow (Dama dama) and imported red deer (Cervus elaphus). Moluccan rusa and red deer were fed grass. Javan rusa, sambar and fallow deer were fed concentrate. The venison obtained from grazing deer (grass-fed) gave higher moisture content (75.3%) than concentrate-fed or confinement-raised deer (74.4%) and imported venison (70.62%). Fat content in venison shows some differences between muscles and species. The concentrate-fed animals had a higher (P < 0.05) fat content in the venison than the grazing deer. Temperate deer (fallow and red deer) showed higher (P < 0.05) fat content than tropical deer (rusa and sambar deer). Venison obtained from concentrate-fed deer showed normal ultimate pH values (pH Յ 6.0) and more reddish in color than grass-fed deer. The concentrate-fed venison produced slightly higher (P > 0.05) palatability scores than grass-fed venison. Feeding regimens (grass-fed vs. concentrate-fed) significantly (P < 0.05) influenced fat composition in the venison of farmed deer in this study.Private holding farm †All deer were slaughtered at 30-38 months of age. ‡Commercial deer pellet (crude protein = 180-200 g/kg DM, ME = 10-12 MJ/kg DM). CHEMICAL PALATABILITY PHYSICAL VENISON 499Animal Science Journal (2008) 79, 498-503 †Sensory panelist -n = 10 (untrained consumer type of panelists). Hedonic scale: 7 score points; 1 -Dislike extremely, 2 -dislike very much, 3 -dislike moderately, 4 -neither like or dislike, 5 -like moderately, 6 -like very much, 7 -like extremely. Mean Ϯ SD; all means are not significantly different at P > 0.05 among breeds and muscles.CHEMICAL PALATABILITY PHYSICAL VENISON 501

The browsing preference and ecological carrying capacity (ECC) of sambar deer (Cervus unicolor brookei) in acacia plantations for management and conservation of the ecosystem were investigated at Sabal Forest Reserve in Sarawak, Malaysia. The identification of the species browsed by the sambar deer was based on an observation of the plant parts consumed. ECC estimation was based on body weight (BW) and the physiological stages of animals browsed in six fenced 4-ha paddocks. Sambar deer were found foraging on only 29 out of 42 species of secondary vegetation in the acacia plantation. The remaining species are too high for the deer to reach. Planted species, Shorea macrophylla are not palatable to the deer. This augurs well for the integration of sambar deer into shorea plantations. The most frequently exploited plants were Ficus spp. Sambar deer preferred woody species more than non-woody species and they are browser animals. By producing metabolizable energy of 19,000 to 27,000 MJ/ha, the ECC was five head/ha to 5.25 head/ha. Given its contribution to the conservation of wildlife and its capacity to sustain the ecosystem, the sambar deer integrated farming system offers a promising strategy for the future of tropical forestry management.

Rusa deer are the only viable commercial tropical deer species for farming in the tropics because of their hardiness, adaptability and prolific characteristics. Twelve entire rusa stags were slaughtered according to halal procedure and used for carcass evaluation and cutability studies. Three carcass categories; large (46 to 55 kg), medium (36 to 45 kg) and small (25 to 35 kg) were developed for rusa stags. This study indicated that entire Moluccan rusa deer stags with mean live weight ranges from 50 to 80 kg and age groups of 15 to 29 months showed dressing percentage of 58 to 62%. Carcass conformation of rusa stags showed significantly (p<0.05) higher forequarters portion than hindquarters for medium (mean weight, 40.8 kg) and large (mean weight, 50.0 kg) carcass categories. The large carcass category was significantly (p<0.05) bigger in hindquarters portion (47.3% vs. 45.4%) than the medium carcass category. This study showed that medium and large carcass categories are more suitable for boneless cuts since the muscles were larger than small carcasses and easy for deboning. Stag carcasses showed higher proportion of the musculature in the high-priced areas of the carcass such as in round cuts. Bone-in cuts are more suitable for small carcasses since the muscles were smaller and difficult to debone (mean weight, 30.5 kg). About 90% of total deer carcasses in the small carcass category were developed into retail bone-in cuts (excluding 9.9% of breast, shank and trimming). The carcass characteristics and cutability information derived from this study can be used as a basis for a venison marketing strategy for deer farming and production in the tropics.