Meat quality: The quality of the meat — focusing on the appearance, texture, juiciness, flavor and functionality. Good, consistent meat quality can build trust with consumers, leading to more return customers.
Antler growth: Antler size and growth is crucial to the success of a deer operation. Proper mineral nutrition and other management factors can contribute to success in this area.
Feed efficiency: Growing and developing sheep as quickly and cost-effectively as possible without negatively influencing goat health and lifetime productivity.
Maintaining good health: Maintaining optimal animal health throughout the reproductive, growing and finishing phases in order to maximize their genetic potential.
Reproductive success: Working toward good breed-back and healthy pregnancies is crucial to the success of the herd.
Effective diet: Optimizing the inclusion of on-farm, high-quality grains, forages and ingredients in order to help minimize purchased feed costs. Enhancing the effectiveness of the diet through the supplementation of research-driven, high-return-on-investment additives that are proven to help deer reach their genetic potential.
Common challenges:
Bunk and water space: Ensure that there is adequate bunk and water space so that all animals have access to the nutrients necessary to achieve their intake goals.
Dry matter intakes: High dry matter intakes through several meals per day help maximize production and rumen health.
Mitigating heat stress: Addressing potential heat stress concerns during the summer months will more than pay for itself over time as potential decreases in intake, production and reproduction are minimized.
Vaccination protocols: Follow strict vaccination protocols in order to ensure optimal deer health at all times.
Mortality: Mortality is the term used to monitor the death rate of a herd. Deer can die for a multitude of reasons depending on their age, environment, stress levels, management and more.
Coccidiosis: A common disease in small ruminants caused by an invasion of protozoa (Eimeria or Iospora) in the intestine. Coccidiosis is usually identified by inflammation of the intestine, lesions, diarrhea, weight loss and/or sometimes even death.
Meat quality: The quality of the meat, focusing on its appearance, texture, juiciness, flavor and functionality.
Stress: Deer are vulnerable to multiple types of stress, which is usually triggered by changes in the diet, climate, management or transportation, etc. Signs of stress in sheep typically include weight loss, decreased water intake, lethargy, and more.
Tips for maximizing health and performance:
Test feed ingredients for mycotoxins. Mycotoxins in deer can reduce feed intake and have a negative impact on rumen efficiency. Knowing the mycotoxin concentration in each individual feed ingredient will help with diet formulation to minimize mycotoxin challenges.
Provide proper nutrition. Rations need to be balanced to meet nutritional requirements according to changes in the available feed ingredients.
Check your stocking rate. Proper stocking rates are essential, as they ensure that all animals have access to feed. Keeping tabs on your stocking rate also helps you avoid increased pathogen loads, which can occur with overstocked pens.
Conduct a slow transition from starter to finishing rations. This transition provides time for the rumen to adapt to higher-starch rations.
Provide appropriate supplementation. Use research-proven products that support rumen efficiency.
What’s important for deer?