Start your own deer farm ...how difficult ?

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Johno100

Well-Known Member
I`ve often toyed with the idea of setting up my own deer park / farm , Im interested in peoples views , especially those who have done it ,heres a few questions to get us started:

Whats the minimum viable acreage you would recommend.?

How much rent per acre pa would be reasonable ?

How much does deer fencing generally cost , per meter ?

What would be the minimum facilities needed on site?

What is the going rate for live stock ?

And so on.
 
If you have to rent the ground is not a viable proposition, certainly in the short term. Where are you based?
 
why not just raise some cows, goats, pigs, or chickens and invite folks out to shoot them? Call em Ferrel and it's all OK.....
 
daven said:
why not just raise some cows, goats, pigs, or chickens and invite folks out to shoot them? Call em Ferrel and it's all OK.....
Click to expand...

daven, I don't really see how your post above is either helpful or funny. If someone asks a question, either be helpful - informative or don't bother.
 
Johno100 said:
I`ve often toyed with the idea of setting up my own deer park / farm , Im interested in peoples views , especially those who have done it ,heres a few questions to get us started:

Whats the minimum viable acreage you would recommend.?

How much rent per acre pa would be reasonable ?

How much does deer fencing generally cost , per meter ?

What would be the minimum facilities needed on site?

What is the going rate for live stock ?

And so on.
Click to expand...

You are not alone in your dream!


Near to me is such a farm that seems to rear and then move them on- as live animals in their second year
It's about 200 acres of woodland that has about 10 Reds at any one time
Over the 5 years I've been driving past the beasts have reduced undergrowth to nothing and the floor to mud and therefore you need to factor in feedstuffs - this bloke uses hay and that means building an off the ground feed station

As for cost?
No idea but not too far away I was offered a 400 acre wood for rough shooting- 3 year lease £1300/year.

Oh and I guess you would need a local vet?
 
howa243 said:
If you have to rent the ground is not a viable proposition, certainly in the short term. Where are you based?
Click to expand...

It would probably be in the Midlands , why would renting not be viable when land purchase prices are generally above £5k pa?
 
Johno100 said:
I`ve often toyed with the idea of setting up my own deer park / farm , Im interested in peoples views , especially those who have done it ,heres a few questions to get us started:

Whats the minimum viable acreage you would recommend.?

How much rent per acre pa would be reasonable ?

How much does deer fencing generally cost , per meter ?

What would be the minimum facilities needed on site?

What is the going rate for live stock ?

And so on.
Click to expand...


The reply's to the questions you have asked could fill a book !

First off would you be farming deer as a hobby or as your main source of income ?


Regards

Ed
 
prometheus said:
daven, I don't really see how your post above is either helpful or funny. If someone asks a question, either be helpful - informative or don't bother.
Click to expand...

Helpful, funny, or not... It's still a canned hunt..... Call it what it is....
 
He never mentioned hunting/shooting them, only farming them.

In Edit:
The Nix manual shows a good return for farmed deer in the uk at the moment, rented ground or not
 
Last edited:
N.F.W.M said:
Surely that would depend on the rent ?

Regards

Ed
Click to expand...

Yes it would, so I guess it was a stupid comment really. I have a few on my land and I just cannot see how as a start up it is really a viable proposition that's all. Obviously there are lots of factors.
 
Do you have any farming experience ? I'm not going to say it can't be done but by the questions your asking I'm guessing you don't have much of an idea about farming deer ? I just think it will be a massive commitment both time and money wise. However if it is what you really want then good luck :) Id consider buying a few acres if I was you as it would be cheeper in the long term and you would have more controll over your farm
 
Johno100 said:
It would probably be in the Midlands , why would renting not be viable when land purchase prices are generally above £5k pa?
Click to expand...

Trouble with renting anything is that at some stage the owner may need you to leave. In terms of your proposition, to start a deer park/farm, you would have to spend a not insubstantial amount of shekels on fencing, not to mention your animals and everything that goes with them.

Imagine that you get everything in place, fences are up, your beasts are in, then the land owner dies/sells up/decides he wants his daughter to keep her ponies on it....

At that point you suddenly have deer to be moved somewhere else, fencing to either take down or leave behind at a loss.

That's when you realise that renting is a risk, and so not really viable. Even if you didn't have to move, the feeding over winter, potential vet fees, fence repairs and the likely loss of animals that go with a downed fence would make your outgoings prohibitive.

:)
 
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