What type of deer do y'all breed and why

I have Fallow and whitetails, the fallows are ALOT easier to raise. I make more on my fallows in the long run due to much less cost in feed and meds, also due to less death loss.

Fallow are easier than whitetail and cheaper to raise. To me though red deer are better than fallow, just because they are easier to work than fallow and aren't quite as picky with their feed. Also they handle flukes better than fallow deer.

OklahomaDeer

Sambar are the easiest deer to keep in my opinion.

They are great in the paddock,go through gates well,don't kill each other,eat anything thats green (goatier than goats),no medication,not flighty.

In the yards they are dangerous,so must be worked from above or behind a division,plus they are 500 to 600 lbs.

Easy to keep,hard to handle.

Very disease resistant.

There are sambar in the States.There is even a limited hunting season I believe on St Vincent Isle off Florida.Your's are Cervus unicolor niger (Indian),mine are Cervus unicolor unicolor (Sri-Lanka).



The easiest to farm are the Moluccan rusa (200lbs),smaller & quieter than the Javan rusa (300lbs).The moluccans are heavy on their feet when being worked(they stay on the ground,no jumping) every thing happens at waist height, not head height,they go through gates & run to corners better than any other.They are fast, but without the jumping are still great to work.

In the paddock,feed & health wise,I manage mine the same as Chital/axis.The difference with the chital though is I have never seen or heard of capture myopathy in moluccans.

The moluccan rusa are a deer I believe I could still farm & handle by myself along with blackbuck antelope (yes,light on their feet & back to head height,but easy) as I become much older.

I think I only carry one scar from either of these species.LOL.



Yes reds are great,but not as easy as the above, for me.

I have eight species plus sub species of deer & like children it's hard to pick a favourite.



Cheers Sharkey

We breed whitetail and only whitetail - why - because they are fascinating! No two are alike and there is always something to look forward to. They are not an exotic but meant to be here. They can adapt to many different climates and conditions. They are relatively disease free (of course not according to wildlife agencies) and can pretty well take care of themselves. Every year when the antlers grow out it is a surprise - so what could be better?

G'day Wild Rivers.

I've asked this question many times,hopefully you can answer it as you seem to have indigenous deer.

Given there is 38 sub species of whitetail which sub species do you farm?

Is anyone breeding a pure sub species? Why? Why not?

Is the authorities primary concern not disease,but that the domestic strain would destroy the phenotype/ecology/genitics of the local sub species?

Are deer which are "deep bread" which barely resemble the indigenous phenotype ment to be there,any more than a fallow?



There has been several extinctions in sub species of deer because of escapes & releases.Englands indigenous red deer C.e.scotticus no longer exists because of hybridisation with sika & european forms.There is still deer in Scottland & England but what are they & would anyone suggest they are better than what should be there?



Questions worth considering perhaps, before the anti's use this angle,although O.v frankienstienus is becomming more broadly used to describe domestic whitetail.Those who call their deer monsters may like this.

The industry should at least try to pre empt this by promoting O,v domesticus, O.v Johnwaynus,O,v.MacDonaldus,etc.It's better than scilence & nothing.

Maybe run a poll & have a bit of fun with it at the same time.



Sharkey

Our most profitable animals are the Letchwe, Eland and Waterbucks. These bring the best ROI in our hunting enclosure

Sharkey - you asked about subspecies. Many years ago the whitetail population was down to nothing in the south eastern part of the US. Government wildlife folks brought in deer from northern states to repopulate the southeastern part of the US. So subspecies are kind of mixed up. This happened in more than one state I believe. Also with deer farming and the use of AI, deer are getting crossed every which way. It would probably hard to pinpoint any particular subspecies.

Thank you Wild Rivers.



Is there any original sub-species left anywhere?

Is anyone breeding/restoring an original sub-species?

If the government agencies destroyed the validity of the species,are they doing anything to restore it?



I can understand deer farmers wanting to grow the largest antlers,colour morfs & other domestic traits.

Would there be a place in the market for the valid sub-species as well, if its not too late?

My experience shows me a smaller moluccan rusa trophy is worth twice as much as a larger javan.Little hog deer twice that of a red stag.A pure red deer,English,German,Yugo is worth more than a composite.A hybrid anything about $3 per kg, maybe more if a velvet producer,most are worthless as a trophy to a collector,other than a "curio".



Cheers Sharkey

Frankly, I don't think anyone really is all that interested in the various subspecies of whitetails. Certainly not any government agencies. Most regular folks just think a whitetail is a whitetail - northern ones are bigger, southern ones are smaller. I'm confident a hunter would not pay more for a certain subspecies. Deerfarmers have all pretty much crossed and crossed animals through AI or purchasing deer. Since we are not allowed to release them into the wild we really don't affect the wild herd. Only in Texas are they allowed to gather up wild deer, breed them and then release them. I think the general public would oppose that other places given the over hype of disease like CWD, not because of any subspecies issues. What would be the advantage of a pure subspecies? Since most southern farmers cross with northern deer by AI and using southern does, they end up with bigger deer that have the disease resistance. Not really a down side.

Wild Rivers.

I would have to agree, there seems to be little interest in your whitetail subspecies.



Why are northern ones bigger & southern ones smaller? Bergmann's rule?



"Not really a down side." Its subjective.

Extinction is caused by genitic pollution as much as habitat loss.I'm just a little surprised given how iconic whitetail are,that there isnt more interest.



Given the opportunity to collect a legal representative Florida Key whitetail deer, hunters would not pay more?



I hope these questions are seen as a real desire by myself to understand how the use of wildlife can encourage conservation & still support industry & investment.Not to be confrontational.



Cheers Sharkey

"Why are northern ones bigger & southern ones smaller? Bergmann's rule?"

People were saying that their deer didn't eat as much in the intense heat of the summer.

Well if you don't eat you don't grow. Sounds simple.