A Deer Farmer's Calendar
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
References:
Deer Farming in North America, Josef Von Kercherinck Zur Borg
The Canadian Elk & Deer Farmer Summer 1996
- Provide adequate shelter for all animals
February
- Feed requirements for deer are reduced in winter as their metabolism slows down
- Bucks begin shedding antlers or buttons
March
- Feed supplement mix
- Feed hay free choice
- Provide clean water at all times
- Take manure samples
- Deworm deer
- Start pasture control measures and check all fences
April
- Continue fence control
May
- Make sure fences are fawn proof
- Buck roundup after all antlers or buttons have been dropped and before fawning starts
- Beginning of fawning season, do not disturb more than necessary
- Patrol fences for signs of coyotes and other predators
June
- Fawning continues
- Bucks begin growing new antlers
- Yearling venison bucks need good pasture and supplements
- Provide good water, any necessary minerals
- Harvest hay early are possible for highest nutritional content
July
- Deworm yearling venison bucks
- Bucks are still in velvet
- Good pasture is necessary to guarantee growth of fawns
- Bucks begin to gain weight, preparing for rut
August
- Bucks have developed antlers and will rub off velvet
- Fawns are growing fast, and need lots of good forage
- Bucks are getting heavy and fat, necks swelling
- Bucks may begin to get aggressive
- Begin your marketing strategy for October
September
- Provide adequate shelter for all animals
October
- Busiest month of the year
- Prepare and begin roundup
- Count and wean fawns, process the later, keep in dry corral with shelter
- Process does, check for udders, make sure condition is good to ensure early conception
- Vaccinate and deworm does
- Take blood samples of all groups of deer, check for selenium
- Rut season begins, does will stimulate bucks
- Does go into breeding pastures after roundup
- Bucks go into separate breeding pastures
- Yearlings are placed in separate breeding pasture with older bucks
- Watch out for aggressive bucks, do not allow children into breeding pasture
- Never go into breeding pasture alone or on foot, best to use vehicle
- Do not disturb mating more than necessary
November
- Process the weaned fawns
- Count, weigh, vaccinate, eartag and separate by sex
- Feed hay to fawns free choice and water
- Segregate late fawns and runts
December
- Begin to separate bucks and does
- Bucks go into their own pasture
- Feed requirements of bucks increases to regain condition after rut
- Breeding does go into winter pasture
- Continue priority feeding of fawns
References:
Deer Farming in North America, Josef Von Kercherinck Zur Borg
The Canadian Elk & Deer Farmer Summer 1996
L E A R N M O R E
Find out more about deer farming by selecting a link below:
|
Alberta Whitetail & Mule Deer Association
Box 591 Eckville, AB CANADA T0M 0X0 |
Email: [email protected]
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Updates to the website have been funded by the Government of Alberta's Community Donation Grant
Updates to the website have been funded by the Government of Alberta's Community Donation Grant
