RESPONSES OF RED DEER TO RESTRAINT IN A Y-MAZE PREFERENCE TEST

To determine whether a y-maze could be used to assess the relative aversiveness of handling treatments used for red deer and how the treatments could most effectively be presented, 24 castrated stags were subjected to two simple treatments. In one arm of a y-maze deer were briefly restrained in a mechanical crush (Crush treatment), while they were allowed to walk through the opposite arm of the maze without restraint (No Crush treatment). The deer were tested in periods of three runs, over a total of 5 days. For each run, successive individuals were drafted down a handling race into the maze. Half of the deer (Group 1) were allowed to choose between entering either arm during every run. Group 2 were forced to enter one arm of the maze on Run 1, the opposite arm on Run 2 and then allowed to choose between arms on Run 3. This regime was repeated four times and thereafter testing was as for Group 1. Runs were continued until individuals had chosen to receive the same ('preferred') treatment in the maze 12 times in succession, or for a maximum of 25 runs. No significant preference was shown by Group 1 (of 11 deer which chose a treatment 12 times in succession, eight preferred No Crush and three preferred Crush). Group 2 preferred No Crush (of 11 deer which preferred a treatment, ten preferred No Crush; P<0.01); this was evident during the first choice run (P<0.05). Discrimination between treatments by Group 2 was also evident in transit times through the handling area, as after the first period the deer took longer to be forced into the arm where they had received Crush treatment than the arm where they had received No Crush treatment (P<0.05). It was concluded that a y-maze may be useful in comparing the relative aversiveness of pairs of handling treatments used in deer husbandry and that giving individuals a forced run through each arm of the maze followed by a choice was an effective means of presenting the treatments.