?s about getting started in fallow deer farming

[MountainMan]

Like the title says, I'm looking for some help on getting a small fallow deer farming operation up and rolling. I've got the land already and I have contacted Division of Wildlife and gotten the skinny on permits, licenses, etc. The end goal here is to sell the venison to local restaurants, specialty shops, and of course the general public. I've got all my licenses and such to do that already since I sell turkeys, eggs, lambs, etc.

Those of you who do something like this, give me the ups and downs of doing this. I know I've got to do the 8' game fence, but any other special equipment or anything I need to know about? How many can you run per acre?

Thanks for the help.

[MountainMan]

Bump for the evening crowd.

[DTala]

Find a vet that knows deer and a deer farmer to give advise on Fallows. Fallows are pretty tough but you will need new meds and such for deer.

Deer and Elk forums is a good place to get advise, info.

[MountainMan]

One more bump in case someone else has some ideas....

[4barchery]

Why fallow? Have you thought about axis or red stag? Definitely find a vet or fellow deer farmer to discuss it with.

[Slick8]

Why fallow? Have you thought about axis or red stag? Definitely find a vet or fellow deer farmer to discuss it with.

Agreed, if it were me, it would be Axis or Red deer for the table quality.

Or perhaps Nilgai, you could butcher at 1-2 years old and have a good quantity of young tasty antelope.

[MountainMan]

Why fallow? Have you thought about axis or red stag? Definitely find a vet or fellow deer farmer to discuss it with.

Nope, never did cross my mind but now that you bring it up, axis isn't a bad idea. I picked fallow because they do pretty well in the cold and their a pretty good eating critter.
Stag is a prickly area up here as DOW doesn't want them to get out breed with the native elk.

For that matter, I guess I could do sika, axis, or fallow. Interesting thought for sure....

[RodinaRanč]

Predator netting...predator netting...predator netting...fallow are not the best mothers. Good info here:

http://publications.tamu.edu/FORAGE/...%20Farming.pdf

[Dandy123]

I raised fallow deer for years and would sell them to a local high fence hunting operation. They are a very hardy deer I only lost one fawn in the 7 years I had them. The only meds I ever gave them was a worm medicine I got from the vet. But in the end the hunting place went out I business and unlike in Texas Missouri makes you jump through hoops to sell deer so we ended up butchering a lot of them. It's a shame because there like gold down in Texas.