Start your own deer farm ...how difficult ?

[Paul at Fechan]

It has been touched on but not properly expanded in that acreage is a must and whether purchased or rented it has to be suitable and manageable. The obvious immediate costs are the outgoings to pay for fencing, associated storage buildings and the stock but the purchase of good land is painfully expensive although renting is actually reasonable if say the landowner is cut into a stake in the business as more than just a provider of acreage.

Reds are worth a lot of money although feeding and the time it takes to build stock etc leaves you with a cash vacuum so you need to budget for this lag. If you can build up a relationship with a land owner who supports the ideas and develop the project over a period of years in steps starting small and allowing for natural stock increase you're onto a winner. Also tie in 'feed the deer' opportunities (if workable with location) and work to access feed at the right costs locally and you can reduce outgoings greatly.

I hope you get a shot at it, atb

p

 

[Morgy]

Might answer a few questions for you

Venison Advisory Service - Early stage expert advice and consultancy to prospective new deer farming businesses

http://www.venisonadvisory.com/example_costings.pdf

 

[MJ75]

What is the going rate for stud quality red stags and fallow bucks? And what would the cost be for a good quality red hind or fallow doe suitable for breeding purposes?

 

[johndeere]

Good quality breeding stags would start at £1500.00 upwards you can pick a used stag up for less money if someone is giving up or fetching in new blood.
Yearling hinds probably £300.00 to £350.00 if you look about you can find them for less money people getting out of deer, or parks reducing numbers etc.
Fencing depending on type of netting, terrain and amount probably £8.00 meter as a ball park figure
You will need some sort of handling system this can be as elaborate or as simple as you can afford.
The only part i don’t like about deer farming is the handling of them they do get stressed quite easily.
I only keep a few hinds but i do get great pleasure out of them and the eating quality of farmed red is very good
If you are thinking of farming deer then join the bdfpa really good organisation and you will get lots of good advice.

 

[vandigo]

It is very hard work.
Me and my friend started a.small deer park in oktober 2012,and it was very hard in terms of money flow.
We spand 4,500 grand on fencing for 11 acres field.After that we bought 16 reds and its was going ok till the grass stop growing then we have to give them concentrated food,and that was very high cost.Make sure you have access to machinery if you want to have reds,we didn't and nearly break our backs.))))
With renting ground you are not going to make any money unless you have 75-100 deer and that allot off land to fence.
If you want to give a go start with fallow,on 11 acer field you can get up to 30 deer.
But remember food is very pricy.
Please ask more if you have any questions

 

[countrryboy]

1 close to me closed down this year, said not worth spendinfg the money to bring it up to date. All the fences where there althou some getting passed it/broken posts, could've been patched up fairly easily as wire in good nick, needed some money spent on handling facilites too and they didn't look to bad either. They had there own game dealers too so should of been getting better prices for veniion.

Said not worth the investment so couldn't off been making money off them.

Possibly with the wetter winter weather more sheep farmers may turn to deer as they seem to be more resiliant to liver fluke, some off the sheep farmers i know are having real problems with fluke and fluke resistant to medication.

Johndeere are u still getting deer fencing done for £8 a m, some fencers up here are 5-6 quid for normal stock fencing now, went up a lot past 3 years due to timber and steel costs

 

[N.F.W.M]

I recently had quotes for deer fencing as part of an insurance claim. Anywhere from £10.50 - £12 per meter.

I do my own and it is obviously significantly cheaper that that.

Regards

Ed

 

[johndeere]

Johndeere are u still getting deer fencing done for £8 a m, some fencers up here are 5-6 quid for normal stock fencing now, went up a lot past 3 years due to timber and steel costs[/QUOTE]

That’s what i do erect fencing the last deer fence i put up was for £8.00 meter there was 5000 meters.
This is just a ball park figure ground conditions. Accessibility and the type of netting used have a impact on the price.
We have it easy really compared to the Scottish lads them boys know about rough terrain full credit to them
Wish i could get £5/6 meter for stock fencing you don’t say what part of the world you are from ?

 

[trouble]

Helpful, funny, or not... It's still a canned hunt..... Call it what it is....

daven , deer farms farm deer for venison in the same way as sheep , pigs and cattle are farmed . Its better to remain silent and be thought an idiot than open your mouth and leave no doubt

 

[howa243]

daven , deer farms farm deer for venison in the same way as sheep , pigs and cattle are farmed .

Whilst this is largely true there are places in the UK where you can shoot deer and other animals in enclosures. I believe there are one or two on here.

 

[MJ75]

Whilst this is largely true there are places in the UK where you can shoot deer and other animals in enclosures. I believe there are one or two on here.

Doesn't Woburn Abbey offer this? I believe they also offer the opportunity to shoot other species not found here in the UK.

 

[Paul at Fechan]

Doesn't Woburn Abbey offer this? I believe they also offer the opportunity to shoot other species not found here in the UK.

don't confuse a free running park to a deer farm that uses enclosures, they are not the same thing. Farms specifically breed deer for meat often with limited space carefully managing the stock for yield against costs, not for trophy heads where as a free running park have plenty of space and mixed deer that are managed with obvious financial benefits. Woburn deer park covers 3000 acres where as our nearest red and fallow farms are set out in under 10 acres each.

 

[Tulloch]

The deer farm nearest to me has around 100 acres of fields all fenced in they hold about two hundred beasts one breeding set aside and the others for Stags, They are all red deer and as there is a number of deer farms in this area it is pretty much a high income business, however the set up costs are the same.

metreage of deer fencing depends on the supplier but you can get 100m's for around £150

price of feeding is very similar to Hi mag feeding for cattle but again bulk orders for better deal and for best results people like Cairngorm feeds have specialist formulas for different breeds

Going rate depends on dealer for livestock you can like said in previous posts can be sold Live or slaughtered.

and renting fields no idea probably be best buying or finding a farmer to go into partnership with.

 

[MJ75]

don't confuse a free running park to a deer farm that uses enclosures, they are not the same thing. Farms specifically breed deer for meat often with limited space carefully managing the stock for yield against costs, not for trophy heads where as a free running park have plenty of space and mixed deer that are managed with obvious financial benefits. Woburn deer park covers 3000 acres where as our nearest red and fallow farms are set out in under 10 acres each.

I'm not confusing anything Paul. At least I don't think I am? Maybe I have....

I believe Woburn Abbey is a place in the UK which allows people to shoot deer 'in enclosures'. Simple as, deffo not looking for a canned hunting discussion there, it's been done to death in the big game hunting sub forum.

Am I right in thinking they offer non UK species though? I seem to remember someone on here saying they'd taken a Pierre David's deer there. But I could be wrong.

 

[cwd]

yes they offer non uk species

 

[Paul at Fechan]

yes Woburn has non native species, and also a cull plan and is managed. Woburn isn't a case 'we've got it in a pen sir for you to shoot' as are the other parks I know of. Parks generate revenue through visitors and paying guests who selectively cull trophy animals where available, deer farms don't mess about with that and generally raise to the most appropriate slaughter weight.

Woburn like most parks is about the maintaining the value of the stock reserve, not the value of the meat that can be grown as farms aim for.

 

[trouble]

I'm not confusing anything Paul. At least I don't think I am? Maybe I have....

I believe Woburn Abbey is a place in the UK which allows people to shoot deer 'in enclosures'. Simple as, deffo not looking for a canned hunting discussion there, it's been done to death in the big game hunting sub forum.

Am I right in thinking they offer non UK species though? I seem to remember someone on here saying they'd taken a Pierre David's deer there. But I could be wrong.

I take it you dont know the difference between a park and a farm

 

[JC275]

Once again we see why this site is ridiculed by almost every professional deer manager that I know. Those that do use it mainly do so for advertising purposes. Woburn is a name that is synonymous with global deer conservation and for some muppet on here to comment (albeit by implication) on their management policies is frankly laughable.

 

[trouble]

I think the comments show a very poor understanding of the situation and could reflect poorly on all of us

 

[cyberstag]

Just to confuse you all a bit further can I point out that apparently the legal definition of farmed deer is "all enclosed deer kept for business purposes."
Please tell me then the difference between a farm and a park, and for how long you think the two will be allowed to operate under different rules with regard to meat hygiene, ante mortem inspection and TB testing.