Mechanical properties of farmed fallow deer antlers depending on age

Antlers are unique bones and are very characteristic secondary sexual organs of cervids males. Rapid growth of its can cause physiological exhaustion and seasonal osteoporosis. Antlers develop with the age of the male, which is also related to his physiological and psychological ability to reproduce. Males of fallow deer reaches sexual maturity in its second year of life, only males over 5 years of age usually participate in reproduction, but most often stags aged 7 years and older. For this reason, the aim of the study was to analyze the mechanical properties of antlers of farmed fallow deer in relation to their age. For this purpose first time, 31 dry antlers from farmed fallow deer stags (living in the same farm conditions) were tested mechanically, in four age groups.

It was statement, in more distal parts of the antlers of fallow deer, the values of such parameters as normalised yield work, stiffness strength factor, yield strength and bending strength decreased compared to proximal ones. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between the location of the tested sample and bending strength. Additionally, with the increase in antler mass, values of most of the analyzed mechanical properties increased too.

The antlers of farmed fallow deer showed a similar trend to that observed in other cervids. Age has been shown to affect casting date and thus the length of the antler growth period. Fallow deer in Group 4 were expected to have experienced a longer antler growth period than those in Group 3, with longer antlers implying more volume to mineralise; however, Group 3 animals showed better mechanical properties.