Are fallow primarily grazers or browsers?? My daughter bought a couple of fawns and im wondering which pen to put them in when they are weened
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Fallow deer do much of their feeding in open, grassy areas but require tree cover and undergrowth for shelter and winter food. Deciduous or mixed woodlands on gently rolling terrain are best, but conifer forests may be suitable in some places. The Edwards Plateau region, with its mosaic of oak mottes, juniper brushland, and grassy areas is well-suited for fallow deer.
Food availability appears to determine whether fallow deer in an area are predominantly grazers or browsers. On the Kerr Wildlife Management Area (Kerr County), fallow deer ate 54% browse, 30% grass, 12% forbs, and 5% other, although these figures varied as the degree of competition with domestic livestock and white-tailed deer varied. Live oak, shin oak, hackberry, and Spanish oak were the dominant browse species taken while Texas wintergrass, fall witchgrass, and common curlymesquite were the predominant grasses eaten. Increased competition for browse with white-tailed deer caused fallow deer to increase their dependence on grasses, while increased livestock competition for grasses led fallow to increase their use of browse.
Taken from Mammals of Texas online edition. -
Thats some good info. Shes got some pens with a lot of undergrowth and mature mesquites and grass in the open areas, and one big pen with scattered mesquite and grass. Looks like either will work.Comment
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