I am wondering if it is advisable to remove the bucks from our fallow herd prior to fawning? The herd we bought has always been together and never separated, and they are for the most part calm, but we weren't sure if it would be best to have a "female only" situation for fawning.
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Joined Apr 2009
3,353 Posts | 0+
Fombell PA
I don't know a whole lot about fallow.....but there have been times when I heard that the buck will kill fawns.......I have also heard others say that they have never had problems......another thing is the doe will beat up on the bucks too when they are fawning.....these are things I have heard....so I just don't take the chance.....good luck with what ever you decide....
When the does are fawning the bucks are in velvet & have zero testosterone in their system (just big girls).
The bucks would actually like to get as far away from mum & baby than the inverse.This is how it happens in nature,seperate buck & doe ranges over spring & summer.The bucks choose to leave the doe range.
There is no problem or issues other than you thinking about next years sire in keeping the bucks with the does.
One point you've not supplied is the size of your enclosures or the avaliable cover.
Just make sure you've selected the sire before the rut (hopefully a 5yo plus & an appprentice 16 months, to stop aggression & keep the master working).
Then keep the bachelours out of sight & smell of the doe mob.I have both species of fallow Dama dama & Dama mesopotamica (not hybrids & never crossed)& keep at least 20 males of each to select the sire.These are culled & culled again & again each year & aren't bred till 5yo so the chance of becomming a sire is about 1% or less.New bucks or AI is also used opportunistically (price/avaliability).
In short, other than sorting next years sire,the only reason to remove the bucks is to ensure enough nutrition to the fawns not for their safety.
Cheers Sharkey
The bucks would actually like to get as far away from mum & baby than the inverse.This is how it happens in nature,seperate buck & doe ranges over spring & summer.The bucks choose to leave the doe range.
There is no problem or issues other than you thinking about next years sire in keeping the bucks with the does.
One point you've not supplied is the size of your enclosures or the avaliable cover.
Just make sure you've selected the sire before the rut (hopefully a 5yo plus & an appprentice 16 months, to stop aggression & keep the master working).
Then keep the bachelours out of sight & smell of the doe mob.I have both species of fallow Dama dama & Dama mesopotamica (not hybrids & never crossed)& keep at least 20 males of each to select the sire.These are culled & culled again & again each year & aren't bred till 5yo so the chance of becomming a sire is about 1% or less.New bucks or AI is also used opportunistically (price/avaliability).
In short, other than sorting next years sire,the only reason to remove the bucks is to ensure enough nutrition to the fawns not for their safety.
Cheers Sharkey
Fantastic Sharkey!
I have multiple bucks in the pen- Caspar is a 6 yr old, Bambi is 5, Rudolph and Fleetfoot are 3, and we have a yearling buckling that the kids haven't named yet. We have 6 adult does, and one yearling doeling.
The pen they are in right now is 100x200 feet. We are fencing in 5 acres for them this summer for browse, as well as putting up a separate buck pen. We plan to keep Bambi and Fleetfoot in the doe herd for breeding, then all the other bucks will be taken out.
I have multiple bucks in the pen- Caspar is a 6 yr old, Bambi is 5, Rudolph and Fleetfoot are 3, and we have a yearling buckling that the kids haven't named yet. We have 6 adult does, and one yearling doeling.
The pen they are in right now is 100x200 feet. We are fencing in 5 acres for them this summer for browse, as well as putting up a separate buck pen. We plan to keep Bambi and Fleetfoot in the doe herd for breeding, then all the other bucks will be taken out.
G'day fallow.
If it was me I'd use Bambi & the yearling during the rut as this will let him spend more & energy doing his job than fighting with fleetfoot.
A master & an apprentice is a well proven way to get the best out of these deer.
Never have 3 bucks in together with does during the rut,the two most senior will fight & when the looser is beaten the young one will take the opportunity to kill him.Then you'll have 2 again & the rut will drag on & the fawns won't be dropped in a nice cluster.
A breeding unit for me is usually a master & apprentice with 30 does in 25 acre enclosures.They never share fences,I rest or have another species in the enclosure beside or between units.
Once weaned the majority of the boys will never see or smell a girl again, I have no problem keeping them all together & in hard antler by following the above (no sight or smell),I don't even get a croak out of many of them during the rut.These bachelors are often run with the red bachelor stags for similar management reasons,except the antlers are removed from the reds.
I dont loose any from fighting.
On the OP again, you dont need to worry about the bucks during fawning,but have the bachelors in their own enclosure 4-6 weeks after the days start to shorten.The fawns will be 8-10 weeks by then & a month away from weaning.I tag at this time too.
Often I dont wean the doe fawns(they are kept with the dam & I work out their future when yearlings) just the bucks.If nutrition is good & its also affordable these weaned boys can be put in with the older bachelors,just make sure there is plenty of nutrition & protien for them all.
Cheers Sharkey
If it was me I'd use Bambi & the yearling during the rut as this will let him spend more & energy doing his job than fighting with fleetfoot.
A master & an apprentice is a well proven way to get the best out of these deer.
Never have 3 bucks in together with does during the rut,the two most senior will fight & when the looser is beaten the young one will take the opportunity to kill him.Then you'll have 2 again & the rut will drag on & the fawns won't be dropped in a nice cluster.
A breeding unit for me is usually a master & apprentice with 30 does in 25 acre enclosures.They never share fences,I rest or have another species in the enclosure beside or between units.
Once weaned the majority of the boys will never see or smell a girl again, I have no problem keeping them all together & in hard antler by following the above (no sight or smell),I don't even get a croak out of many of them during the rut.These bachelors are often run with the red bachelor stags for similar management reasons,except the antlers are removed from the reds.
I dont loose any from fighting.
On the OP again, you dont need to worry about the bucks during fawning,but have the bachelors in their own enclosure 4-6 weeks after the days start to shorten.The fawns will be 8-10 weeks by then & a month away from weaning.I tag at this time too.
Often I dont wean the doe fawns(they are kept with the dam & I work out their future when yearlings) just the bucks.If nutrition is good & its also affordable these weaned boys can be put in with the older bachelors,just make sure there is plenty of nutrition & protien for them all.
Cheers Sharkey
fallow said:Thank you so much for your advice Sharkey. I really appreciate it! Its nice to talk to someone else fond of this species. I feel a bit lost in all the discussion of whitetails.
G'day fallow.
Your not alone there,though there are several who get on here with fallow occasionally.
Outside of Nth America fallow & reds would be the most common species farmed in Western countries,till you reach China & Asia Pacific where sika & rusine species become more common.
Maybe if there were more of us with other species taking advantage of this forum,more would participate.
I like reading about whitetail & have learned a lot about their management & natural history here.For the whitetail keeper,this is an awsome resource for information & support.It no doubt coud be for the other species if more started to use it.
Hopefully one day I'll share ideas with another sambar or rusa farmer on here.
Cheers Sharkey