If not sheep... then... deer?

[in-too-deep]

Anyone here raise deer for selling venison? (Not trophy hunting bucks) Other than a monstrous fence, what are some negatives?

Thank you

 

[Woolless]

@jellybean

 

[Netherfield]

Overloaded market.

 

[Woolless]

Overloaded market.

OP is in the US.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Anyone here raise deer for selling venison? (Not trophy hunting bucks) Other than a monstrous fence, what are some negatives?

Thank you

Coyote will predate as per sheep, but LGD can't be used.
Specialist handling system required. Dark room, drop floor crush etc.
US path to market? I've never seen venison offered there. Does public access to hunting mean farmed venison has no demand.

 

[in-too-deep]

Coyote will predate as per sheep, but LGD can't be used.
Specialist handling system required. Dark room, drop floor crush etc.
US path to market? I've never seen venison offered there. Does public access to hunting mean farmed venison has no demand.

I would think the deer fence would keep predators out... or at least better than a sheep fence would. Not to mention the predators have lots of wild deer to eat that aren't behind a fence.
Hmmm interesting on the handling equipment...
The hunting public that like eating deer wouldn't buy it. The target customer is the high-end, natural, gourmet, "wild"-to-table crowd who don't hunt. But I'm just guessing.

 

[toquark]

Give the strong hunting culture in the US, is there a market for farmed venison? I’ve no idea, would be interested to know.

 

[jellybean]

As I have been tagged in I will give a short reply. I sold my deer farm back in Nov after 43 years farming reds and now at 75 am supposed to be retired but haven't noticed any difference in the work load yet.

First thing to establish is whether there is a market for venison in your area. If not don't even think about it.
If there is a market how much legislation and gov interference is there between a live animal and delivery to public as meat?
How good is the piece of ground that you are contemplating using; you can chuck as much fertiliser on as you want but if the underlying rock and soil will not provide what the deer need to thrive you are wasting your time. I use the word thrive deliberately; many people can't even manage to keep them alive let alone produce a well fleshed finished carcass. You also need shelter and shade and good water.
Deer are essentially wild animals but can be managed ok without too much trouble but you will need good fencing, especially your internals. and a handling system that is safe for the deer and for you.

My personal opinion for the UK is that serious deer farms are in decline. There are many parks and wealthy folk who just like to have some deer around them but although they have their place the differing legislation for them just makes life more difficult for genuine deer farmers. You would need to ask questions to other deer farmers in the US.

Most people who keep deer do so primarily because they like looking at deer but that is not a good enough reason, once enclosed YOU are totally responsible for their welfare and feeding etc. Don't underestimate the costs of fulfilling that obligation.

Do your homework and good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[in-too-deep]

As I have been tagged in I will give a short reply. I sold my deer farm back in Nov after 43 years farming reds and now at 75 am supposed to be retired but haven't noticed any difference in the work load yet.

First thing to establish is whether there is a market for venison in your area. If not don't even think about it.
If there is a market how much legislation and gov interference is there between a live animal and delivery to public as meat?
How good is the piece of ground that you are contemplating using; you can chuck as much fertiliser on as you want but if the underlying rock and soil will not provide what the deer need to thrive you are wasting your time. I use the word thrive deliberately; many people can't even manage to keep them alive let alone produce a well fleshed finished carcass. You also need shelter and shade and good water.
Deer are essentially wild animals but can be managed ok without too much trouble but you will need good fencing, especially your internals. and a handling system that is safe for the deer and for you.

My personal opinion for the UK is that serious deer farms are in decline. There are many parks and wealthy folk who just like to have some deer around them but although they have their place the differing legislation for them just makes life more difficult for genuine deer farmers. You would need to ask questions to other deer farmers in the US.

Most people who keep deer do so primarily because they like looking at deer but that is not a good enough reason, once enclosed YOU are totally responsible for their welfare and feeding etc. Don't underestimate the costs of fulfilling that obligation.

Do your homework and good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Thank you for the reply.

Demand is yet unknown, but I think the natural, wild-to-table crowd would go for it. It would be a direct-to-customer model with online sales, perhaps. Maybe high-end grocery stores and food co-ops, too. I don't know if local butchers would be allowed to process my deer for retail sales. That's another thing to research.

There is robust management from our Department of Natural Resources as Chronic Wasting Disease is a BIG deal with our wild whitetail deer, here. Inspections, testing, etc. The regs look burdensome, but not unmanageable. Probably similar to what UK farmers deal with on regular livestock. The regs in place now seem to be aimed at deer farms who raise bucks with huge antlers for "trophy" hunting in "high-fence" "game ranches", which is revolting to me. You pick out a monster buck, shoot it, and pay. Yuck. I'm working on finding venison producers to ask.

Our ground is fit for grazing and forestry and not so much high-dollar row crops/grain. We must grow good deer here, because everyone comes up here for hunting every November.

We raise beef cattle currently so the best animal husbandry is standard on our farm. But, deer aren't cattle, so there's ALOT to learn if this is even a remote possibility.

 

[in-too-deep]

Give the strong hunting culture in the US, is there a market for farmed venison? I’ve no idea, would be interested to know.

Me too!

 

[neilo]

@Two Tone

 

[jellybean]

Thank you for the reply.

Demand is yet unknown, but I think the natural, wild-to-table crowd would go for it. It would be a direct-to-customer model with online sales, perhaps. Maybe high-end grocery stores and food co-ops, too. I don't know if local butchers would be allowed to process my deer for retail sales. That's another thing to research.

There is robust management from our Department of Natural Resources as Chronic Wasting Disease is a BIG deal with our wild whitetail deer, here. Inspections, testing, etc. The regs look burdensome, but not unmanageable. Probably similar to what UK farmers deal with on regular livestock. The regs in place now seem to be aimed at deer farms who raise bucks with huge antlers for "trophy" hunting in "high-fence" "game ranches", which is revolting to me. You pick out a monster buck, shoot it, and pay. Yuck. I'm working on finding venison producers to ask.

Our ground is fit for grazing and forestry and not so much high-dollar row crops/grain. We must grow good deer here, because everyone comes up here for hunting every November.

We raise beef cattle currently so the best animal husbandry is standard on our farm. But, deer aren't cattle, so there's ALOT to learn if this is even a remote possibility.

You use the expression "natural, wild to table" but if they are fenced in they are neither wild nor natural. In the UK people sometimes think that wild venison is better than farmed because they assume it is organic but nothing could be further from the truth. Wild deer can have been feeding on heavily sprayed arable and veg crops in the days and weeks before being shot. It is only with fenced in farmed deer that you can say exactly what they have been eating and the stock will have been killed in an abattoir with full meat inspection whereas wild deer get only the main in-skin carcass inspected at the wild game dealers; the head, feet and all internals have already been removed and do not get inspected so all the bits the vet would want to see to be sure the deer did not have TB are not available. Farmed deer compete on a very unequal terms with wild.
I am not saying one is better than the other, you just need to understand the differences if you are buying venison.

 

[Woolless]

You use the expression "natural, wild to table" but if they are fenced in they are neither wild nor natural. In the UK people sometimes think that wild venison is better than farmed because they assume it is organic but nothing could be further from the truth. Wild deer can have been feeding on heavily sprayed arable and veg crops in the days and weeks before being shot. It is only with fenced in farmed deer that you can say exactly what they have been eating and the stock will have been killed in an abattoir with full meat inspection whereas wild deer get only the main in-skin carcass inspected at the wild game dealers; the head, feet and all internals have already been removed and do not get inspected so all the bits the vet would want to see to be sure the deer did not have TB are not available. Farmed deer compete on a very unequal terms with wild.
I am not saying one is better than the other, you just need to understand the differences if you are buying venison.

Interesting point about wild deer eating crops within their 'withdrawal period' or whatever the arable boys call it. Not a problem with highland red deer, I doubt.

 

[in-too-deep]

You use the expression "natural, wild to table" but if they are fenced in they are neither wild nor natural. In the UK people sometimes think that wild venison is better than farmed because they assume it is organic but nothing could be further from the truth. Wild deer can have been feeding on heavily sprayed arable and veg crops in the days and weeks before being shot. It is only with fenced in farmed deer that you can say exactly what they have been eating and the stock will have been killed in an abattoir with full meat inspection whereas wild deer get only the main in-skin carcass inspected at the wild game dealers; the head, feet and all internals have already been removed and do not get inspected so all the bits the vet would want to see to be sure the deer did not have TB are not available. Farmed deer compete on a very unequal terms with wild.
I am not saying one is better than the other, you just need to understand the differences if you are buying venison.

I understand what you're saying. I'm using those terms as I believe the type of people who are in to "natural" and "wild to table" and "farm to plate" and all those buzzwords would be more likely to pay a premium and buy venison over the plain old pork/chicken/beef/lamb grocery store buyers. That being said, never would I sell meat that isn't exactly what I say it is. Farm deer aren't wild, they're livestock like cattle, but I think the prospective clientele are different. Maybe I'm talking in circles... but I do thank you for your time replying. I found an old thread you contributed a lot to when I was researching handling equipment, and I appreciate it!