Castrating

Ok this might sound odd but if I castrated bucklings would they get antler, or would they just end up looking like beefy does? I'm looking at meat production.

I would say if your looking for meat that would work.

If fallow bucks are going to be cut this needs to be done before 8 months,earlier is better.They will become a peruque if its done later.



They will grow like large does & the venison can be taken year round without the tainting or rutty taste from those in hard antler.



It is now only popular for single or multiple bucks which are kept alone or as pets.These animals become the bottom of the social ladder if kept with any other & unless there is good room to escape,a surplus of food & they are fed a distance away from others they will most likely be picked on.



Cheers Sharkey

Ok thank you. I know it might be an odd question but I raise sheep and goats and all my bucks not wanted for breeding are castrated within a month of birth. Makes them more manageable and faster growth.





Sharkey I would most likely keep these "wethers" in a separate pen.

G'day fallow.I feel that cutting the boys slows down their growth for the first year or two not increase it.As the greatest production from fallow bucks is in their first 18 months, there is no real weight gain. The advantage is they can be yarded & killed at any time without agression or flavour taint.



If you are after meat & not trophies use some persian/meso genetics.They are a much larger subspecies & will breed with Dama dama without problems.

Be aware they will ruin any trophy potential when introduced into a D dama herd,but they can grow 50% larger.They have the advantage over D dama bucks because of their size,agression & are several weeks ahead seasionally than the anatolians.This means the Dama mesopotamica buck breeds the does first & their fawns are on the ground earlier & can take advantage of a "spring flush".Most venison farmers down here have done this.Except Tasmania where Meso genitics have been banned, as the herd there is good English Park stock & the persians would ruin this traditional herd.



D mesopotamica are oficially the most endangered species in the world (moluccan rusa should be though),however I am aware there are hybrids avaliable in the States (I doubt there are any pures).If you do find pure Persian fallow they are CITIES animals & carry all, if not more baggage,due to the religious significance to Christian, Jewish & Islamic faiths.They are also the only animal there has been any military action over.Any hybrids are not an issue.



I run herds of D dama (Hungarian , domestic pure) & D mesopotamica (domestic pure).I never cross or hybridise anything,all my deer are kept at ,or bred to origin (someone has too). Although fallow aren't my favourite deer, having both & seeing the ecological differences between them is a great interest & I guess there may be some conservation or scientific value in keeping the Persians.



Cheers Sharkey