Deer farming around the world is much more widespread than most people imagine, and many countries have at least a few thousand deer behind fences. Australia has quite a small market compared to some of our neighbours and this contributes to the rather scarce amount of information on the topic available. The main deer types bred in Australia are red and fallow deer while more sizable countries such as North America or Europe have other breeds such as Sika, Rusa, Sambar, Axis, Musk, White Tail or even elk.
Red Deer: Australia’s Deer Market
Red deer are originally from Europe. It has only been during the past few decades that farming in Australia and New Zealand has gained interest. This specific type of deer is a herd animal closely related to the Elk but only about half the size of their cousins. Mature bucks will weigh 110-120 kg and have a carcass weight of 57 kg. Mature does will weigh 68-80 kg and have a carcass weight of 40 kg. All deer are four-toed; the two middle toes make up a cloven hoof. The stomach is four-chambered and ruminating. A gall bladder is absent in red deer but present in sone types of musk deer. All deer possess facial glands situated in front of the eye which can discharge a strong-smelling secretion.
Nutrition and Feeding
The nutrition needs of deer are similar to that of sheep. Much of a deer's growth occurs during the first winter. It is very important during the first year to provide good nutrition. Stunted growth in the first year cannot be made up in later years, despite high nutrient intake. Good pasture and quality hay are important for healthy deer. Corn and commercial deer pellets are often added to feed to provide energy during the winter months. The deer pellets can be used to assure the deer are getting the proper nutritional elements required for good health. Breeding stock requires 2.5% of their body weight on a dry matter basis per day in order to maintain their weight.
Breeding
Does can be bred at one and half years of age and up. The average productive life of a doe is 10 years. The current production practice is to replace bucks after 5 years of breeding. Separating a doe from her fawn and then bottle feeding the fawn has been found to increase the production life of does. The breeding season (also called the rut) takes place in the period from September to October. The recommended practice is to run 1 buck with every 10 does. The gestation period for a red deer is between 187 to 222 days. Undernourished does will have longer gestation periods. In Australia most fawns are born in May or June. Assistance in the delivery of fawns is not practiced due to the nervous nature of the animal.
Cost:
A table can be drawn up to estimate the cost of running each deer on a farm. The table normally looks something like this:
Annual Operating Costs for Deer Farm
The above costs will vary due to the age and sex of the deer so the annual operating cost for each deer is roughly $180 – $200.
DISEASES
Deer are generally naturally resistant to disease. However farming large numbers of animals on a limited acreage requires ongoing parasite control. The following diseases can occur in deer: brucellosis, tuberculosis, anaplasmosis, malignant catarrhal fever, yersiniosis, pasteurellosis, enterotoxemia, tissue clostridium, bluetongue, and parasitic diseases. These can be treated with a variety of methods, sometimes including culling of affected animals.
Farming Requirements:
A deer farm requires land for both grazing and producing a supply of winter feed. Although up to 8-10 does can be grazed per acre, this may result in increased stress for the animals. It is recommended that 3 to 4 per acre may be more appropriate. Deer will do very well in marginal land as long as there is feed, brush cover and water. Deer will require access to a clean water source, particularly in winter. If natural shelter is not available, it will be necessary to build sheds or other facilities to protect them from harsh weather.
Fencing
Regulations specify fencing requirements. Good fencing is required to prevent domestic deer from escaping and wild deer from entering a game farm In Australia perimeter fences must be 9 feet high. Chicken wire is sometimes laid along the bottom of the fence to aid in preventing the escape of fawns. A single electric wire on the top of the perimeter fence at a height of 5 inches is also used to stop unruly stags from trying to break through.
The Handling Facility
The most important component of a deer farm is the handling facility. Handling facilities are sheds or buildings designed to make the management of such deer much easier. A squeeze and alley way is designed to hold animals securely and safely. Most of the work is done in pitch black because, as already mentioned; deer are very skittish and can become dangerous when frightened. Producers must learn to handle their animals very carefully as not to cause harm to them (or themselves).
This Table represents the Major Deer Farming Countries around the World
When further illustrated in a graph, it is easy to see that although Australia is a relatively large producer compared to some Asian and European countries, we stand no where near the amount as New Zealand.
