SUMMARY:The main aim of this study was to estimate phenotypic correlations among live weight, withers height, rump height, chest depth, chest width, thoracic girth, body length, hip widths (between iliac tuberosities and between ischial tuberosities) and forelimb cannon perimeter with antler length measured during the growth of marals on a Kazakh farm. The data comprised 18 animals studied during their growth (at 18 months and at 24 months). In maral, the first period of antler productivity takes place at the age of 24 months. This fact should be taken into account in order to select the best animals for antler production, which is the main purpose for farming this species.

Thirty-three stag maral deer (Cervus elaphus sibiricus) 42 month old were allocated to one of three treatment groups: hay-concentrate typical diet, silage and haylage diets with a mineral block (zeolite clay, boiled antler broth and fodder salt). When mineral block was included in diets higher levels carcass weight, flesh weight, dry matter, pH were measured. Besides this meat and broth sensory qualities were improved.

SUMMARY:The objective of this study was to investigate asymmetry in antlers of Caspian Red Deer or maral (Cervus elaphus sibiricus) from two different genetic origins and maintained under similar conditions. Eighteen male Caspian Red Deer aged 24 months were studied. Nine animals belonged to the local Kazakh population and nine were directly imported Russian deer. The following data were obtained for right and left antlers: wet weight, stem length and circle and 1st, 2nd and 3rd shoot lengths. To obtain the values of antler asymmetries we used the absolute differences between the value of each trait on left and right sides. According to values of asymmetries obtained, the two populations neither showed differences from each other nor exhibited consistent directional trends in mean measures. Therefore, it could be concluded that Russian marals have adapted well to environmental conditions, presenting no different levels of environmental stress in relation to local Kazakh ones.