Deer and Elk Fact Sheet:

Dictionary:

Doe – female fallow and whitetail deer
Buck – male fallow deer
Hind – female Red deer
Stag – male Red deer
Cow – female elk
Bull – male elk
Fawn – young fallow and whitetail deer
Calf – young Red deer and young elk

Elk:

Elk have been raised commercially in Canada for over 25 years. These animals ranged all across North America at one time and are the second largest member of the deer family, second in size only to the moose. In Canada, elk are farmed for the purpose of selling live animals, venison (meat) and velvet antler. Elk are farmed predominately in Western Canada.

Elk are very efficient in food conversion. Elk’s appetite fluctuates with the seasons and therefore it is important to provide a well planned and balanced diet. Elk are herbivores and are predominately grazers. They drink water, eat grasses, legumes (alfalfa hay) and grains (corn and oats). The farmer also provides vitamins and minerals in their feed. During the winter months, hay is the best feed, and in particular alfalfa. Elk decrease their food intake and metabolic activity during winter. Good quality balanced rations should be provided during the winter. This ration should be high energy. Elk should be fed very well in the summer to achieve optimum velvet weights and calving percentages.

The first antler velvet harvest is done when the animal has reached an age of two. Bulls produce velvet every year with an average two-year-old male producing nine pounds of velvet. A mature bull, which is between the ages of seven and eight, will produce between 30 and 40 pounds of velvet in one year. Leather from elk is used to make boots, gloves and other articles of clothing. The antlers are used to make jewellery and pieces of art.

The number of points on the elk’s antlers is influenced by genetics, feed and maturity. The antlers fall off every March and re-grow every year.

Males, called bulls, have a life span of 12 to 14 years and weigh between 800 and 1100 pounds. Mature females, called cows, have a life span of 15 to 20 years and weigh between 550 and 600 pounds. Females do not grow antlers. Cows are first bred when they are 18 months old and the gestation period lasts for approximately 246 days. Calves are born in May and June, usually weigh between 45 and 50 pounds for males and 34 to 40 pounds for females, and are born with white spots that last for three months. Cows normally only give birth to one fawn per year. During the first few days of its life, fawns only get up to nurse. Its sole defence is to lie in the tall grasses and bushes, with its mother at a distance. The breeding season, called the rut, is controlled by the day/night cycle and is from late August to late October.

Elk are raised on farms, outside on pastures all year around. In elk operations, there is an intense amount of monitoring of the animals. However, there is minimal interaction between the producer and the animal. Fences should be at least seven feet high and constructed from high tensile wire. Animals on pasture should have access to sufficient amounts of feed and water and should have access to shelters.

Did you know…

Three elk cows’ feed intake is equivalent to the feed intake of one beef cow
Elk have a natural immunity to most diseases
Elk’s life is conditioned by the seasons; elk’s metabolism slows down in winter, and as a consequence, its nutritional needs decrease
The calorie intake of an elk is twice as much in the summer as it is in the winter

Useful Links:

North American Elk Breeders Association
Ontario Deer and Elk Farmers Association
Ontario Elk Breeders Association
Alberta Elk Association
Saskatchewan Elk Breeders Association
Quebec Elk Breeders

Fallow Deer:

On a worldwide scale, Fallow deer are the second most farmed cervidae, and continue to spread worldwide due to their adaptability. The colour of the coat of fallow deer is usually one of four colours: white, menil (light brown with white spots), common (ginger) and black. Fallow deer have gained their popularity with producers due to their low aggressiveness, ease of handling and natural immunity to diseases. Furthermore, they have low feed requirements and can be successfully raised on only a few acres of land.

Male fallow deer, called bucks, weigh between 110 and 150 kilograms. Females, called does, weigh between 40 and 75 kilograms. The breeding season occurs in October through November, with the gestation period being 233 days. Fawns are born in June and weigh between four and seven if male or between four and six if females. A doe giving birth to twins is rare. Does can give birth up to the age of 20.

Fallow deer are raised outdoors on native or seeded pastures. Farmers also provide natural shelters or barns for protection against poor weather conditions.

For more information about handling practices and specific husbandry guidelines please visit www.livestockwelfare.com.

Red Deer:

In Eastern Canada, one will find predominately Red deer farming operations. Generally, Red deer are farmed for velvet and venison.

The male Red deer, called a stag, is known for its magnificent antlers. The antlers are 36 inches in length, hard and spikey. The antlers are shed, or cast, every year, usually in March or April. The new antlers start to grow immediately and reach maturity in July. Antlers that are in the growing stage are soft and workable and covered with furry skin, which is called velvet. When maturity is reached, the velvet dries out and is rubbed off, which leaves hard and bare fully mature antlers. The antlers stay this way until they fall off the following March or April. Velvet is harvested usually 60 to 80 days after the new antlers appear. When harvested, velvet can weigh one to five kilograms.

A female Red deer, called a hind, weighs 110 kilograms at maturity. A mature male Red deer, called a stag, will weigh 250 kilograms. Calves weigh about eight kilograms when born. In the winter, the stag’s coat is dark brown in colour. In the summer, both the stag and hind’s coats are dark red. The stag grows a significant mane in the summer months. When fawns are born they have a white spotted coat that turns to dark red in five to six weeks after their birth.

The rut occurs during September and October. The gestation period is 234 days. Fawns are born the following June, with twins being rare. The first antlers, or knobs, appear on young stags around Christmas time and then fall off the following March or April. Young stags will not grow a full set of antlers until their second year. Stags can be viable breeding animals until about eight years of age and one stag can breed approximately 40 hinds.

Red deer are forest dwellers and browsers, but they are also very adaptable. It is suggested that red deer have access to both pasture, a shelter and open access to water. It is suggested that you have four to six animals per acre of pasture.

For more information about handling practices and specific husbandry guidelines please visit www.livestockwelfare.com.

Did you know…

An area that can accommodate one cow can support four Red deer.
Red deer that are domesticated tend to have more points on their antlers than those deer that are found in the wild.

Useful Links:

North American Elk Breeders Association
Alberta Elk Association
Saskatchewan Elk Breeders Association
Manitoba Elk Growers Association
Ontario Deer and Elk Farmers’ Association