Deer Vet
> General Questions
General Q&A |
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Australia
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1 |
Where did deer originate from? |
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There are at least 12 genera and 14 species of deer recognised in the world.
Some species (such as Red Deer - Cervus elaphus) have several well-defined
subspecies. Deer come from all parts of the world except Australia and
New Zealand. In these two countries they were introduced |
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shortly after colonisation. There are two principal groups of deer -
the temperate species from Europe and North America, and the tropical
species from Asia. |
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2 |
Can deer be farmed successfully on a property also breeding cattle? |
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The short answer is – yes. Deer can be successfully farmed with cattle.
However there are a few precautions. I note that you are from Victoria,
hence I will confine my comments to the temperate species of Fallow, Red and
Elk. The principal nutritional problem you would have is that Red and Elk
compete with cattle for the same type of pasture. Consequently your pasture
management would require close attention. Fallow deer, on the other hand,
graze shorter pastures and are less competitive with cattle for pasture
species.
From a disease point of view, the major POTENTIAL cross infection is likely
to be Bovine or Ovine Johne’s Disease. This has never been a problem for a
well managed farm in Australia, but we must be aware of I, especially if the
property has a history of bovine JD. Lungworm, particularly in young deer,
is the major parasite that deer can obtain from cattle, as is Ostertagia -
particularly in Elk. Most diseases of deer in a farmed environment are
stress induced. The two major disease problems in your area would be
Yersinia and Malignant Catarrhal Fever. Yersinia is very common in Red deer
(up to 25% of all animals are likely to have the bacteria naturally in their
gut) so contracting the disease from cattle really isn't an issue.
Malignant Catarrhal Fever is caught from sheep not cattle.
An advantage of farming Red deer and Elk with cattle is that, with minor
adaptations, common handling facilities can be used. |
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3
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I am looking at entering the deer farming industry (not on a large scale).
Are the NSW Alps (Jindabyne area at around 1100 metres) suitable for
growing?
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This is a really difficult question to answer with any precision. It will
depend so much on the nature of the property, and in particular on how you
would provide supplements for those times of year when you cannot grow
adequate feed. For females the time of peak demand is lactation (December to
April) and for stags/bucks it is after the rut (June to September), although
they also need good nutrition throughout the antler growth period as well (ie.
late spring/summer). I guess your major problem will be the short
pasture-growing season at that altitude, and you would need a good plan to
fill in the gaps. The notion that deer will thrive on poor country where
cattle will not has long since been laid to rest. As with any livestock it
is all about inputs and outputs. For both red deer and fallow deer the
very cold winters should not be a major problem, provided that they have
adequate shelter. |
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4
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I was just wondering what the small oval-shaped holes beneath the eyes on
each side of a deer’s head were? Do they have any special purpose?
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These are the preorbital glands, which are more prominent in some species
than others, eg. Sambar deer have very large glands. These are one of
several glands on the deer's body, which have a variety of pheromonal
functions to do with marking territory etc. If a deer becomes very
distressed or angry it might flare these preorbital glands quite noticeably. |
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5
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What is the maximum liveweight of an adult Jarvan Rusa? Someone has said
that a wild one hunted for trophy antler can weigh up to 200kgs. If this
weight is possible why do wild deer weigh more than farmed?
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I have never heard of a Javan rusa stag reaching 200kg liveweight. My
belief would be that most do not exceed 140kg but an occasional animal might
reach 160 kg. Farmed deer on good nutrition should be able to match wild
deer liveweights. |
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6 |
When a male buck urinates does he squat like a doe or does he lift a leg
like a male dog? |
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In 30 years I have never seen a male deer cock his leg. |
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7 |
Could you tell me the life span or expectancy of a white tailed deer? |
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The life expectancy of any deer in the wild can vary enormously depending on
a range of natural and other variables. It would not be unusual for most
wild deer to live for 8-10 years, and many live even longer than that. On
the other hand, deer in captivity can live for up to 20 years and even
longer, with good nutrition and few of the risks of life in the wild.
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International
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1 |
I am writing an article on pet deer medicine for Exotic DVM journal. I am looking for dental charts or radiographs on cervids. also, do you have any techniques for buccotomies for cheek teeth extractions in deer? |
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Deer have 4 pairs of incisor teeth like other ruminants but all the temporary "milk teeth" incisors are replaced by permanent incisor teeth by about 11 months, with the central pair usually replaced by 6-7 months.
I have never had to extract a cheek tooth in a deer
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(30 March 2010) |
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| 2 |
Are deer like cattle with multiple stomachs? |
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Deer are ruminants just like cattle, with essentially the same type of
digestive system.
There are in fact some variations in the proportions of each stomach between
cattle and deer, and within the deer family. This does result in some
differences in their dietary preferences, eg. browsers versus grazers. |
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3 |
What is the gestation period for white tail deer?
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The gestation period for WTD is usually given as 200 days, but apparently
this can vary with the subspecies in question (range 186 to over 220). |
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4 |
What are the testing requirements to bring a deer from Canada to the U.S.
and the reverse?
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From way down here in Australia I cannot claim to be up to date with the
testing requirements for deer crossing the US-Canada border. You should be
able to get this information quite readily from any USDA office, or from the
North American Deer Farmers' Association. I do know that there are a number
of diseases that are of current concern, particularly tuberculosis and more
recently chronic wasting disease in elk, but I do not have current access to
the exact test protocols which are required. Let me know how you go. |
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5
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I would like information on how Red Deer mate, sexual activity, parenting,
copulation, male and female roles in selecting a mate. |
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Red deer have been very intensively studied as a species, both in the wild
and on farms. The definitive reference for wild deer is:
Clutton-Brock et al. (1982) Red deer: Behaviour and ecology of two
sexes. (ISBN: 0 85224 446 0)
This is a superb account of the deer on the island of Rhum, and should be
read by every deer person. Many others have studied the species - eg.
Gerald Lincoln, Geoff Asher (better known for his work on fallow deer I
guess) so it is much harder to give a single reference for farmed deer. The
book below would be a good start, but there are many others.
Haigh,
Jerry & Hudson, Bob. (1993). Farming Wapiti and Red Deer.
(ISBN: 0 8016 7687 9)
Good luck. |
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6 |
I recently heard that deer antlers are made from the calcium that deer eat -
that the body of a deer needed to |
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expel excess calcium and antlers was the method it used for this process.
If this is true, then why do female deer not have antlers? |
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You are correct in saying that the calcium in antlers is the same as in
bones, and the way in which the animals puts it all together is quite
remarkable. However, it is not correct that the antlers are used to expel
excess calcium. The deer is able to resorb calcium from long bones to
supplement the calcium taken in as a part of the diet, in growing and
hardening a set of antlers each year. This process of resorption is
called "physiological osteoporosis". Dietary calcium is still very
important, and the final size of antlers each year can be affected by
under-nutrition. That is, the deer will have a certain genetic potential
for antler size, and the degree to which this potential is achieved depends
on environmental factors - largely diet. |
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7 |
How long is a deer’s gestation period? |
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The
gestation length of Cervidae varies with the species, between 7.5 and 9
months. |
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8
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How long is a deer’s life span? If I saw a deer in the woods could I run up
to it and jump on it and start yelling "cornelius!"?
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It might be difficult to jump on a deer - they can run faster than you can.
Deer usually live to about 10-12 years of age in the wild and up to 20 years
in captivity. |
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9 |
Do any female deer (does) have antlers? |
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The only deer species in which both sexes have antlers are reindeer and
caribou. |
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10 |
Could you tell me if all White Tail Deer loose their antlers yearly in
Southern Georgia?
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All WTD bucks have an annual cycle of growth and shedding of antlers, and
the deer in Georgia would be no exception. |
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11 |
What determines the number of points and the size of whitetail deer horns? |
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The number of points is determined by genetic factors, and the ultimate size
of each set of antlers is determined by a combination of genetics and
nutrition. |
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12 |
What is the life expectancy of Red deer, both stages and hinds? |
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As a guide, you can expect farmed deer under good conditions to live up to
15 years, and some will live longer than that. Wild deer do not generally
live as long as farmed animals, but this depends on seasonal weather
conditions, nutrition etc. |
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13
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Where exactly do deer live in the woods - do they make dens? Do they just
lie down and sleep? What about when a doe gives birth, where do they go? |
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Deer are indeed beautiful and fascinating creatures, and the study of their
behaviour can be most rewarding. Any good library can find you books on the
subject, and why not try a Google search - you may be surprised what you
turn up.
Females separate from the herd to give birth, in undergrowth in which they
can be undisturbed. Deer do not make dens, but use forests for shelter,
shade and food. They are very good at hiding and can be quite difficult to
approach, since they have very good senses of hearing and smell. |
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14 |
A friend’s female goat has become pregnant, but has apparently not been in
contact with a male goat. However, |
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a large buck has been seen around the field’s perimeter. Is it
genetically possible for the buck to have impregnated the goat? |
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To the best of my knowledge - absolutely not. But then I am often wrong
about all sorts of things. |
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15 |
How do you tell the sex of a wild fawn? We have several white tailed deer
and the fawns are starting to come out |
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with the mothers now. We have one doe that had twins. One fawn is larger
than the other. Is there a way to tell the sex of the fawns just by looking
at them from a distance?
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Not an easy task. You may find that female fawns have urine-stained hocks
while the males are quite dry. |
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16
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Do you have information that shows how deer urine or animal urine breaks
down as it ages? At what rate does bacteria break it down? Also how strong
is a whitetail deer’s sense of smell compared to that of a human?
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I am unable to answer your question about urine, but I am sure that there
would be a fair bit of variation depending on the conditions - ambient
temperature etc. Their sense of smell is certainly far better than ours, as
is their hearing of course. In trying to compare a deer with a human I
cannot come up with a figure off the top of my head. But certainly their
sense of smell is superior to ours, and hearing even more so.
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17 |
What is the normal body temperature of a healthy whitetail deer? |
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I guess it is the same as for most ungulates, in the range 37.5 - 38.5
degrees C.
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18 |
After studying all of the FAQ's I feel a bit out of place. I am a hunter in
northwest Louisiana, USA. I have seen |
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several buck deer during the current hunting season that have branched
antlers on one side and a single antler on the other. I have harvested 3
such bucks and they vary in age but have the same condition. All three had
the branched antlers on the right side and the single antler on the left
side. I am judging their age strictly by body weight and other physical
attributes and not by their jaw bones. The largest animal (190 lbs) had a
rather irregular shaped rack on the right side: no curve to the main beam,
approx. 14 inches long had G1, G2. & G3. The left side was merely a spike
approx 1 inch long. The other deer were the same except they displayed the
normal "curve" of the main beam on the right side and had a single spike
antler on the left side. I have watched two other deer with the same
characteristics. All of these animals have been in the same area. None of
the animals had any apparent injuries that may have contributed to this
condition. Approx 20 bucks have been harvested with this condition to
varying degrees. Is this genetics or nutrition? |
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If there is no apparent trauma to the pedicle it seems very likely that you
are seeing a genetic defect in the population.
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