@conference {3672,
	title = {Development and evaluation of a temperament-scoring system for farmed deer: genetic and environmental components},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {76},
	year = {2016},
	month = {07/2016},
	pages = {109-103},
	address = {Adelaide},
	abstract = {A temperament-scoring system for farmed red deer was developed and evaluated. Hinds (n=1102) and their progeny (n=1609)
from three farms were repeatedly scored (7867 observations in total) for aggression, agitation in a pen or when confined in a
crate, ease of handling, and exit speed from a crate. The animals were scored when yarded for management procedures by one
handler. Inter-observer reliability recorded on a separate occasion was between 70 and 82\%, measured as percentage agreement.
For progeny, heritability was for aggression:0.03{\textpm}0.024, agitation (pen):0.23{\textpm}0.077, agitation (crate):0.17{\textpm}0.056, ease of
handling:0.10{\textpm}0.037, and exit speed:0.04{\textpm}0.021, with a repeatability of 0.19{\textpm}0.018, 0.24{\textpm}0.022, 0.25{\textpm}0.017, 0.24{\textpm}0.015, and
0.17{\textpm}0.013, respectively (estimate{\textpm}SE of estimate for all preceding values). For hinds, repeatability was for aggression:0.23{\textpm}0.048,
agitation (pen):0.16{\textpm}0.068, agitation (crate):0.38{\textpm}0.052, ease of handling:0.45{\textpm}0.048, and exit speed:0.27{\textpm}0.061 (estimate{\textpm}SE of
estimate), respectively. Animals that were agitated in a pen were also more agitated in a crate (r=0.352 and 0.479 for progeny and
hinds, respectively), all other associations were weak (r<=0.228). Farm, year born, age, and drafting order, but not sex, influenced
most temperament scores. Temperament of red deer can reliably be scored in a yard. Agitation showed a moderate genetic
component and could, therefore, be included in future breeding programmes.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Sch{\"u}tz KE and Ward JF and Cox NR and Asher GW}
}
