How To Choose The First Deer For Your Herd
If you are willing to get the proper permits and put in the effort to make their habitat safe, white-tail deer are majestic animals that can be a wonderful herd on your property. There are several reasons why someone would want to own white-tail deer, including but not limited to: deer farming, local attractions, and owning deer as pets. If you fall into one of these three categories, you probably know how to care for deer and their habitat needs. However, have you ever wondered how to choose the deer that will stock your farm? While every owner will have a slightly different way of choosing, here are a few tips for making sure your herd will be healthy and produce viable fawns for years to come.
Reputable Breeders
While some people try to save money by rehabilitating abandoned or injured deer, a deer farm should be primarily stocked with hand-chosen deer that have had a lot of interaction with people since they were young. Reputable breeders and deer farmers will know this and should give you a lengthy history of each deer's parentage and history. Genetic information is extremely valuable, as it will help you to determine how large each deer will become and how many fawns of the future generation they could parent. Whenever you see offers of deer for sale, you should ask many questions about the herd's history in order to ensure that the breeder is reputable.
Health Certifications
Reputable breeders will also have health records for each of their deer and a history of when fawns were weaned and how they have been fed. For example, most deer farmers prefer to hand-feed their fawns after 48 hours to ensure that they form a strong connection with their caregivers, yet receive the necessary colostrum from their mothers.
Does Matter
The mother of each deer is extremely important. Most deer farmers will start off their herd not with fawns but with hand-picked does who will parent their young herd. The first does chosen should be a good size, relatively young, and have great coloring in order to ensure that the young generation will be healthy.
In conclusion, instead of just allowing any white-tailed deer into your herd, you should be choosy in order to ensure that your herd will be healthy and productive for many years to come. The price of each deer will vary based on their fertility, age, and health history, though you should expect to pay a handsome sum for each viable addition.
Contact a local supplier of deer for sale to get started.