Corn and sorghum as a winter food source for ring-necked pheasants

摘要: In many localities, winter food plots planted to corn and/or sorghum grains are used enhance overwinter survival of ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). We organ size and carcass composition evaluate this strategy with 110 pen-reared, female fed ad libitum or restricted (65, 85, 100% a 173 kcal.bird -1 day maintenance ratio [MR]) corn, sorghum, corn/sorghum (mixed) diets in South Dakota during winters 1990-92. also evaluated 97 wild females collected from areas (mixed), without (control) east-central Dakota. Except for ceca length (P = 0.059), intestinal masses lengths did not differ > 0.10) among pen-reared diets. Females MR were heavier ≤ fatter than the mixed diet. 85% 0.020) 0.056) Pen-reared 65% 0.017) but 0.133). Wild control had longer small intestine plots. contained less fat Diets mostly plot grains, whereas foods, soybeans, composed most diet on Comparisons 3 grain (corn/sorghum/mixed), females, suggest any 1 was nutritionally better another. postulate feeding within larger lipid reserves because higher quality