Deer Farming
Deer Farming For Profit

It would certainly amaze the average US citizen to know that deer farming is far from a recent invention. It was in fact already practiced in Pennsylvania in the latter part of the 19th century and the USDA issued a statement on it more than a hundred years ago, in 1910. In those days, though, deer farms were a rarity, catering mainly to game hunters. In the 1970s, there was a sudden shift in priorities, with the discovery that velvet antler was considered an important ingredient of Asian health products.   

The first country to see deer in a serious light, agriculturally speaking, was New Zealand. It had no native deer population, but soon found ways to utilize the imports from colonization profitably. America and Europe followed suit. Early reservations focused on fears that deer farming would diminish the numbers of wild deer. These proved ungrounded, but the largely undocumented movement of deer stock led to persistent strains of tuberculosis on those deer farms. As transportation restrictions tightened, this was slowly brought under control.  

There are a number of medical illnesses that could affect your deer. Brucellosis is a serious disease that can lame your herd and wreak disaster in the field of reproduction. Since it results in swelling or sores around the genital area, it frequently causes abortions or infertility. Tuberculosis could infect deer, even the avian variety, which can be complicated to detect. Antler trauma sometimes leads to tetanus. Colostridial Disease targets young fawn and can kill them with debilitating bouts of diarrhea. 

According to 1997 figures, the number of deer on farms represented a total just under 4 million.  Of these, by far the greatest concentration was found on New Zealand, a country with 1.4 million deer at the time.  Next in the rankings was China with a million deer and Russia, which boasted a total of 400,000. The United States took the 4 th slot with a quarter million farmed deer. Other deer farming nations included the Germans, the Australians, the English, the Scottish, the Irish, the Koreans and the Taiwanese.  

In their natural surrounds, deer generally eat a combination of grasses and leaves. In spring and summer, they eat well to deal with the extra energy requirements of reproduction. In winter, their metabolism drops and less food is needed. The precise qualities and quantities may be different, depending on the breed. 

The strains of the mating season can claim quite a toll on the bulk of the male members of your herd, and they will need to be in excellent condition before it commences. Weight reduction of well over a quarter of the total body weight has been documented. 

Some of the nutritional needs of deer include calcium and phosphorus, which stimulates solid bone growth and the regular release of the right hormones and enzymes within the deer’s system. The deer has a more productive digestion and can thrive on smaller quantities than bovid species such as cattle. 

Although deer farming has been practiced for many centuries in some parts of the world, new innovations can certainly benefit the industry. 

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Although some people associate deer farming with new alternative farming trends, the profession is centuries old. The herding and breeding of reindeer has belonged to the culture of Scandinavian races such as the Sami for many hundreds of years. Their rituals and celebrations revolve around the movements of the reindeer and they adorn themselves with accessories made from reindeer skins. 

About thirty-three per cent of Finland or roughly 44015.6 square miles (114 square kilometres) of land is dedicated to the industry of keeping reindeer. This represents the interests of about 7000 registered reindeer owners and 200,000 head of deer. The country generates 4.4 million pounds (two million kilograms) of reindeer flesh for human consumption. 

The Swedish and Norwegian legislature has in recent years come to enshrine the herding of reindeer as an inalienable birth right of the Sami. In Norway, approximately 2800 persons are engaged in this occupation. Modern innovations have caught up with the traditional, however. It is considerably easier and a great deal less effort to track the movements of your reindeer aboard a motorized snowmobile. Unfortunately, the reindeer people have also encountered the darker side of the civilization when the nuclear incident at Chernobyl caused stock losses of around 73,000 reindeer. Following the toxic effects of radioactive lichen, these had to be killed. 

G.W. Scotter places the earliest documented farming of reindeer in the 9th century. Reindeer are particularly adapted to colder areas. 

In North America, reindeer are known as caribou. They were first brought to Canada from Norway and Siberia. 

Part of what places reindeer in a particularly lucrative light, is the fact that, unlike with most types of deer, both the males and the females grow antlers. These possess a market value at various stages of development. Velvet antler is used in Eastern tonics, while calcified antler is used for décor items. 

Reindeer have the side appeal of being associated with Christmas time. Some vendors of Christmas trees include live reindeer in their display as an extra draw card. Reindeer are relatively easy to train for sleigh rides.  

If you already engaged in the business of animal husbandry, reindeer are easy to include in your enterprise. They do not require a great deal of attention or extra resources and with their rugged immune system, they make a good investment. As they are a migrating species, the controls surrounding their movements are not as strict and they are naturally hardy in frigid temperatures. 

Russians use the great seasonal movement of reindeer for their own benefit. By setting up mobile slaughtering units, they gain large quantities of meat, all of which is consumed internally. 

While deer farming has transcended to include many new ideas and tools, it still occupies a central part on the cultural identity of people of the arctic. 

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Most Americans would be surprised to learn that even in the USA, deer farming had been practiced for more than a century. Elk was farmed in Pennsylvania from the late 1800s and the United States Department of Agriculture issued a bulletin on the subject as early as 1910. Deer farms were however few and far between until the 1970s, when the focus shifted from game hunting to the use of velvet antler in alternative Asian medicine. New Zealand had been one of the first countries to practice deer husbandry as a commercial enterprise and prospective deer farmers in the Americas and Europe drew on its expertise. In the early days, there were concerns that deer farming would impact negatively on populations of wild deer. Another complication was the incidence of tuberculosis among farmed elk. Due to unregulated transfers of livestock, it spread rapidly until active measures were taken to improve health checks and other aspects of stock management. 

There are certain diseases that target deer species. Brucellosis causes swelling and abscesses around the genital area, leading to spontaneous abortions and sterility. It can also cause lameness. Deer are susceptible to tuberculosis, and can sometimes contract the avian variant, which may be difficult to diagnose. Tetanus can sometimes result from an antler injury and deer can fall prey to Colostridial Disease, a digestive infection that causes acute diarrhea in fawns. 

In 1997, the farmed deer population around the world numbered close to 4 million animals. The United States ranked 4th with a farmed deep population of 250,000. New Zealand topped the list with 1,400,000 deer, followed by China with 1,000,000 and Russia with 400,000. Other countries engaged in deer farming included Australia, Germany, Korea, Canada, England, Scotland, Ireland, Mauritius, Malaysia, Sweden and Taiwan. 

When in the wild, deer such as elk consume a mix of grass and leaves. Their diet varies seasonally and they eat considerably more in spring and summer. All types of deer show a declining appetite in the winter months when their metabolic rate drops. The exact nutritional needs may vary according to species. 

The bulls of your deer herd will need to be in good shape to meet the high demands of the rutting season. Weight losses of up to 30 per cent have been reported during this rigorous period.

During various stages of its development, deer such as the elk will need a steady supply of calcium and phosphorus. These promote a healthy nervous system, good bone development and a steady flow of necessary hormones and enzymes to keep the body’s processes fine-tuned. A deer’s stomach is smaller and it digests its meals faster than those ruminating animals such as the bison and the cow. They benefit from a high quality diet, as their digestive system is more efficient.

Despite its ancient heritage, there is still much room for development in the world of deer farming.

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While the concept of deer farming may seem new to some people, the practice dates back to antiquity. Reindeer husbandry has formed part of the culture of the Sami people of northern Scandinavia for many centuries. Their nomadic lifestyle was to a large degree dominated by the migration of their reindeer. They celebrate festivals that tie in with the movement of reindeer and wear clothing made of their skins. 

One third of Finland, an area covering 44015.6 square miles (114,000 square kilometres) is taken up by reindeer husbandry and the country has an estimated reindeer population of over 200,000. It has around 7000 registered reindeer owners and produces 4.4 million pounds (two million kilograms) of reindeer meat annually. 

The governments of Norway and Sweden now recognize this industry as the legally protected heritage of the Sami. An estimated 2,800 Norwegian citizens are engaged in the profession of reindeer herding. There are some modern advances in the industry, though. The snowmobile has introduced a great deal of speed and efficiency into the management of reindeer. There is however a downside to civilization’s encroachment on the ancient lifestyle of the Sami. Following the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, 73,000 reindeer had to be destroyed as unfit to eat. They had been poisoned by radioactive compounds in the lichen they ate. 

According to G.W. Scotter, the farming of reindeer dates back at least to the 9th century. Reindeer thrive in colder climates and are fairly easy to manage.

In the Americas, they are usually referred to as caribou, although the breed was introduced to the Newfoundland in 1908 from Norwegian stock. Siberian reindeer were also transported to the New World.

What makes reindeer particularly attractive, is the fact that both males and females sport antlers, a valuable commodity, both in the growing velvet stage and also when calcified. The antlers mature at different stages. Most females shed their antlers only after calving. 

An additional plus of reindeer is their association with Santa Claus. As they can be trained to draw a sleigh, they make a popular feature at seasonal promotional events. Facilities that offer trained reindeer can become successful tourist attractions.

Reindeer make an easy and sensible addition to any existing deer farm. As long as they are pastured in separate pens from the other types of deer, reindeer are low-maintenance animals with a natural resistance to various types of disease. They prefer colder climates and movement across borders is less prone to restrictions than with other types of deer. 

In Russia, reindeer are harvested during the annual migration. Field abattoirs are set up and the Russians utilize all the resulting meat locally.

Today in the arctic regions, deer farming, particularly of reindeer has evolved to a mix of the traditional with the modern. 

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