Deer Farm Trial AREA SET ASIDE AT LINCOLN

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31725, 8 July 1968, Page 1

Deer Farm Trial AREA SET ASIDE AT LINCOLN

A small experimental deer farm will be established at Lincoln College so that the animals can be studied where they are held under intensive conditions.

Professor I. E. Coop, professor of animal science at the college, said yesterday that an area of five acres on the research farm at the college had been set aside and it should be possible to carry more than 12 deer.

Erection of a 7ft high fence round the area, together with subdivisional fencing and yards, should be completed within a

month. Several thousand dollars were being provided for the project by game recovery, processing and exporting interests in the South Island Mr J. R. Maddren, chairman of the Game Exporters’ Association, said last evening. Professor Coop said that Mr Maddren, on behalf of game interests, had approached him about the possibility of studying the management and nutrition of deer under intensive farming conditions. The college council had given him authority to proceed with the project provided a licence was obtained from the Forest Service and that any disease hazards were cleared with the Department of Agriculture. Both of these requirements had now been met

Some members of the council had been concerned that the presence of deer and the greater difficulty of fencing them in might increase disease hazards to sheep and cattle, but assurances had been received that these risks were no greater than existed at present. The game interests had agreed to finance the capital development required, which

was primarily the erection of fences and yards. While a few people had tame deer in ones and twos, one or two commercial deer farms existed in the North Island under extensive conditions, and in Europe there were deer parks, there was virtually no experience in the management, breeding and nutrition of deer under confined intensive farming conditions.

Professor Coop said that he and his staff would begin almost from scratch. They had first to learn by experience whether the deer could, in fact, be maintained at two to three to the acre, whether they would breed, and whether stags could be managed during the mating period. If these initial difficulties could be surmounted, then they would be interested in measuring growth rates, carcase quality and meat production an acre under good management, including drenching, spraying, and supplementary feeding. “It would be of interest to know how venison production an acre compared with beef and lamb production,” he added. Appeal To Public Professor Coop said he wished to appeal to the public to keep away from the area. It was realised that the public would be interested to see the deer, and consequently once the college was sure that the animals were quiet enough and that it was safe to allow visitors into the area, opportunity would be given to the public to see them. The first animals for the Lincoln deer farmlet have already been caught Mr Maddren said that they were brought to Hawea Flat on Friday by helicopter by Mr T. W. Wallace.

The five deer—-three stags including a 14-pointer and two hinds—had been “shot" with a tranquilliser gun and then carried out by net under the helicopter. They were being brought to the college by motor transport. As well as continuing the recovery of wild animals, which was being helped by

the current snowfall to low levels, they were advertising to buy animals that were kept in captivity. Young animals were wanted which would offer better opportunities for measuring growth rates. Mr Maddren said that intensive deer farming could give additional export opportunities. Where animals from such farms were slaughtered under Department of Agriculture supervision ante mortem as well as post mortem certification could be given and this could give access to additional export markets.