Domesticated Deer

In 1973 Dr Ken Drew and MAF vet Les Porter borrowed a few deer and set up an experimental farm. The two set out to put a structure around deer farming to formulate the basic management practices. They were generally considered 'crackpots', but they persevered, coming up with a set of practices and approaches to deer farming that covered things such as: the right sub-species to choose (in NZ we typically have red deer, red deer-wapiti crosses and fallow deer); the layout of paddocks; how many deer to keep together; creating a more natural environment; general animal health and even antler removal.