Deer farm
Encyclopedia
A deer farm is a fenced piece of land suitable for grazing that is populated with deer
raised for the purpose of hunting tourism or as livestock
. Similar species such as elk
, moose
and even reindeer
may be farmed in this method as well, sometimes on the same land. This practice is very different from the way such Arctic communities like the Laplander
s migrate in open country with their herds of reindeer.
The technique has expanded in recent years due to the rising popularity of venison
.
New Zealand is the largest supplier of farm-raised venison. In 2006 New Zealand had approximately 3,500 deer farms, with an estimated stock of 1.7 million deer.
Deer are not native to New Zealand. The first deer were brought to the country from England and Scotland for sport in the mid to late 19th century, and released mainly in the Southern Alps and foothills. The environment proved ideal and the uncontrolled feral populations grew to high numbers. By the middle of the 20th century feral deer were regarded as a pest because of their impact on the native forests. From the 1950s deer cullers were employed by the government to keep the numbers in check.
The export of venison from feral deer started in the 1960s, turning a pest into an export earner. Industry pioneers saw an opportunity to build on this base and in the early 1970s started capturing live deer from the wild and farming them. A new industry was born and rapidly spread throughout New Zealand.
, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy similar to Mad Cow Disease
, can pass from wild populations of deer to deer in farms, there has been some fear of contamination of the food supply http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no6/03-1082.htm. Recently, cases of CWD have been found in both farmed and wild cervids in the US and western Canada Chronic Wasting Disease
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no6/03-1082.htm. European farms in Scandinavia
may also have had several cases. Farmers now have had tests developed especially for the particular species they raise to obtain better results than those used on cattle
.
New Zealand appears to be free of Chronic Wasting Disease. The New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture undertakes an extensive testing programme which would identify the disease if it occurred in the national deer herd.
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
raised for the purpose of hunting tourism or as livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
. Similar species such as elk
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
, moose
Moose
The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...
and even reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
may be farmed in this method as well, sometimes on the same land. This practice is very different from the way such Arctic communities like the Laplander
Laplander
Laplander can refer to* Of, or related to Lapland* The Sami people or anyone else living in the area of Lapland; the word is used in English contexts also for the Finnish speaking population in the Finnish Lapland....
s migrate in open country with their herds of reindeer.
The technique has expanded in recent years due to the rising popularity of venison
Venison
Venison is the meat of a game animal, especially a deer but also other animals such as antelope, wild boar, etc.-Etymology:The word derives from the Latin vēnor...
.
New Zealand is the largest supplier of farm-raised venison. In 2006 New Zealand had approximately 3,500 deer farms, with an estimated stock of 1.7 million deer.
Deer Farming in New Zealand
Deer are the first new animals to be domesticated for over 5,000 years. The large scale commercial farming of deer started in New Zealand, and New Zealand remains the world's largest and most advanced deer farming industry.Deer are not native to New Zealand. The first deer were brought to the country from England and Scotland for sport in the mid to late 19th century, and released mainly in the Southern Alps and foothills. The environment proved ideal and the uncontrolled feral populations grew to high numbers. By the middle of the 20th century feral deer were regarded as a pest because of their impact on the native forests. From the 1950s deer cullers were employed by the government to keep the numbers in check.
The export of venison from feral deer started in the 1960s, turning a pest into an export earner. Industry pioneers saw an opportunity to build on this base and in the early 1970s started capturing live deer from the wild and farming them. A new industry was born and rapidly spread throughout New Zealand.
Fears of Chronic Wasting Disease
Since Chronic Wasting DiseaseChronic wasting disease
Chronic wasting disease is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of mule deer, whitetailed deer, elk , and moose. TSEs are caused by unusual infectious agents known as prions. To date, CWD has been found mainly in cervids...
, a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy similar to Mad Cow Disease
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
, can pass from wild populations of deer to deer in farms, there has been some fear of contamination of the food supply http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no6/03-1082.htm. Recently, cases of CWD have been found in both farmed and wild cervids in the US and western Canada Chronic Wasting Disease
Chronic wasting disease
Chronic wasting disease is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of mule deer, whitetailed deer, elk , and moose. TSEs are caused by unusual infectious agents known as prions. To date, CWD has been found mainly in cervids...
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no6/03-1082.htm. European farms in Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
may also have had several cases. Farmers now have had tests developed especially for the particular species they raise to obtain better results than those used on cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
.
New Zealand appears to be free of Chronic Wasting Disease. The New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture undertakes an extensive testing programme which would identify the disease if it occurred in the national deer herd.