The "joys" of deer farming. One of my nice healthy fat fallow stags managed to strangle himself this afternoon. A cord I use to pulll a gate shut when capturing deer for handling, the stupid bugger trying to rub velvet off got it wrapped around his antlers and then his neck.

Never occured to me to post this here, but I bet there is more knowledge here on Red Deer than anywhere else on these boards.

Tomorrow I take my first delivery of Red Deer. 10 hinds and 4, 2-3 yr olds.

I have a good fence, good feed (natural and supplement), plenty of water and absolutely no idea what to expect.

I have always found it is easier and cheaper to learn from others mistakes than to make them on my own. Any pointers for a first timer? I do intend on intensively managing my hinds, keeping them to 10 mature hinds.

Thanks in advance.

Wendell, I don't have any experience with farming deer. Some of our other posters seem at least to have experience with farming fallow. So maybe they can provide useful information? I'd just thought I'd mention a couple of things I have noticed:

1) Red deer farming is very widespread in NZ. The farms are literally everywhere. I often noticed that the farmers kept their reds in pens with absolutely no shade, and with no provision for wallowing. Reds really don't appreciate heat, and even less so direct sunlight. They absolutely dote on being able to cool off and perhaps fend off insects with a nice cool water/mud bath. I don't know if your ground lends itself to shade and semi-open water on the ground, but if there is any way you could arrange that, your deer would feel a bunch better.

2) I don't know if you are going to feed your deer - like pellets or hay - or whether you are going to rely on natural range?? If you are going to feed them, you might well avoid problems, if you ensure that the feed is raised above the ground. Whenever ungulates concentrate, the chance for disease increases rapidly if they take up droppings when feeding.

3) Red deer are herd animals, but they don't particulary like to share their feed. It is beneficial if all your animals can feed at the same time - spread out over a large enough area that "jealousy" fights can be avoided. That means spreading out the feed troughs (don't know if that is the correct term?) or the hayracks, so that all animals have access to food simultaneously.

4) Reds like a mixture of coarse and "wet" food. Examples include hay (coarse) and things such as beets or silage for "wet" food. (Again, sorry about my inadequate knowledge of the technical terms, I guess you know what I'm getting at).

Good luck with your new venture, and all the best to your new "proteges".
- mike

I've no farming experience but would advise you get acquainted with some character traits of red deer. During the year, mature stags are solitary (they sometimes indulge the presence of young males) while hinds and calves live in a herd, lead by an old experienced hind. When rutting time comes (september - october), dominant stags round up their herd and will defend it agressively against competition (younger contenders are best kept apart, less they could be killed). Be wary of your own safety too, for a "domestic" rutting stag -even a calf you fed yourself from the bottle, having lost his natural fear of man, will be dangerous. He may look at you as a possible competition and will not hesitate to charge (NB. : this won't be intimidation and he will mean it !). BTW, I noticed that farmed stags often had their antlers sawed off before rutting time. Another hint, build your fence high enough as red deer routinely jump over 2 meters. I've been told that some mixed elk-red deer farming was experimented in the U.S. (being genetically compatible, they do crossbreed) but that the agressivity of the reds did complicate cohabitation matters.

Mike's mention of feeding beet rings a bell. I know little about farming red deer but i seem to recall a story about a stalker being ask to keep an eye on some park red deer while the usual keeper was a way. From what I recall, he took a delivery of some beet which he had scattered on the ground. Now there was something wrong with either the beet, (frost damaged?) or perhaps the amount which caused the deer real problems along the lines of bloat. It was that serious that several were lost and several more were seriously ill.

I am away this week end with someone who might know the full story and I will ask a few questions and get back...

How big an area will the deer be kept in? Are you farming them for venison or is this some sort of hunting operation?

Regards,

Pete