Who has a shrinking herd?

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ANTLER VALLEY

Joined
Apr 9, 2009
Messages
1,020
Location
Carrollton, MO
Turns out I built my fish tank for way more fish than I need-originally thought I would have 70-90 deer, now running about 50 through winter, and thinking of cutting that in half with the cost of feed and the lower cost of deer. Then the problem becomes, what do I do with all that pen space? Thought about finishing some weaned calves, but then was told it takes many months of grain to properly finish a steer or heifer-that's no better than the situation I'm in. What about Alpacas? Anything else? Looking at options, just want to hang on some deer to watch them grow and keep the antlers coming for my collection.
 
I have heard that Alpacas and deer don't mix and not even in a pen that had deer in it before.
 
I have half as many doe's now that I had this time last year. I moved out everything that I thought was not worth spending the time doing a.i. on them. I plan to add a few more real good breed doe's by summer and then remove some more as soon as I get the 2012 fawn's from them. With feed cost I am wanting to just keep good animal's. But with deer price's lower it's hard to not buy some of the good female's that I think are better than what I have here now.



I am thinking about adding a few sheep. I want to try dall's a.i.ed to bighorn. I for sure want to get a few when it warm's up and I can find some good dall female's.



I dont know if I would want feeder cattle in my deer pen's. I use to have the best luck with old cow's then selling feeder's and not finishing them.
 
I'm slaughtering 16 deer every two weeks for people. I will be slaughtering over 100 head. I'm going down to just the best and really only want some around to watch as I really like them.



I plan to use the extra pen space for my sheep project which I have expanded and have bred bighorn and Alaskan dall semen to sixty five Texas dall ewe sheep with 40 inch genetics. My lambs will be on the ground March 15. I have been making these sheep crosses for twenty years and have been able to sell them every year which is more than I can say for the whitetail.
 
Phillip,Surplus pen space should be looked at as a plus. You should be able to rotate deer from pen to pen inturn help you out and give your pens a rest and a chance to sorta flush themselves out with a chance to sit dormant.
 
those of you mixing sheep with deer, do you ever have problems with MCF?I know several who have lost reindeer to it, and others who have lost red deer to MCF from sheep. I know it is testable in the sheep though.
 
Steve,

I have run sheep and deer on rotation in pens with a rest between rotation as I let the grass grow up but have not sheep and deer together. I have had no problem with MCF
 
Wayne, I'm looking for the positive as you said. That's why I started this thread. If I cut my herd down to 25 or so, I'll still have 18 pens, really overkill and I can't really keep up on the maintanance of the pasture, especially when pens are empty. I don't want to tear down, and not in a situation where I can sell the farm. Just seems sad to have empty pens, but tired of throwing good money after bad. The truth is that this is about money. If deer didn't cost anything to raise, I'd have as many as I could hold.
 
Maybe try to provide room and board for some other farmers. Seems like there are guys from other states that are looking for places to keep their deer.
 
virgil said:
maybe try to provide room and board for some other farmers. Seems like there are guys from other states that are looking for places to keep their deer.
Click to expand...



yes u will get guys lined up for them pens,, if not send me a pv :)
 
If you've got the space and the pens -- consider some Red Deer!



We've got bred females for you this winter. No bottle feeding, naturally much calmer than WT, but not as placid as Elk. Red Deer Stags are in high demand as shooters and growing in popularity in the US -- Hunting Estates that specialize in WT or ELK are starting to include them in their offerings. Efficient in converting feed for putting on weight as a meat animal as well.





-- Will

www.northoaksfarms.com
 
does your 50 dollars a month include feed or does owner supply
 
Clearview Whitetails said:
Yes, I have a board sheet and copies of all owners paperwork
Click to expand...



So do you screen your clients for CWD and TB/Bruc? Or do you have airspace between your deer and theirs?
 

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