Develveting Stags
The develveting season: points to consider ...
Animal issues
The key is to minimise stress and damage to velvet and stag.
- Draft stags into mobs as buttons drop so stags are more settled at develveting time
- Adjust mob size to avoid overcrowding at the shed
- Stags must have a companion
- Allow for a settling period in the shed prior to develveting
- After develveting, release stags to a nearby paddock with shade and water available
- Monitor for any adverse reaction and persistent bleeding. Stags lying on their side, an unbalanced gait or difficulty breathing may require intervention. Blood spurting half an hour post-develveting requires re-application of the tourniquet
- Call us as soon as possible should any stag show difficulty behaving normally within a reasonable time
Holding facilities
The key is to allow for safe handling of animals; to minimise animal and human injuries; to allow rapid and safe develveting and the recovery of clean, undamaged velvet.
- Check that all gates and crushes are working well
- Eliminate metal protrusions in and around shed - this minimises injuries to animals and operators
- If your shed is not covered, think about covering it. Animals will be quieter and the ambient temperature lower
- Aim for bookings early in the day when the temperature is unlikely to be greater than 22oC
- Fix any gaps between walls and roof. Deer like to head for light
- Provide clean flooring and where surfaces are hard, sweep prior to develveting. This reduces the risk of injection-site infection, produces cleaner velvet and minimises the risks of stags contracting respiratory infections while sedated
For more in depth information please refer to http://deernz.org. Click on the Deer Hub then follow the links through Deer/Antlers to find the new rules and regulations under the NVSB section.
