camelid and deer farming systems

What are farmed deer considered as?

‘tame wild animals ‘

Almost all farmed species have undergone the domestication process. What is this process?

The process of hereditary reorganisation of wild animals and plants into domestic and cultivated forms according to the interests of people

Why would we select individuals to breed to some degree based on behaviour

Removing any that are particularly aggressive or flighty from the herd

What is capture myopathy ?

Serious often fatal muscle disease in wild animals that develops from extreme stress and physical exertion during capture, handling or transportation

What kind of deer is capture myopathy still seen in?

Farmed or park managed deer

Finish the sentence: Deer are found within the order of _____ (even-toed ungulates) and the family of _____

ariodactyla cervidea

What are the deer species living in the uk? And what is their weight and height? Are they native or not ?

Roe deer , native, weigh up to 25kg and reach 0.75m at shoulder

What are the deer species living in the uk? And what is their weight and height? Are they native or not ?

Red deer , native, weigh up to 190kg, reach 1.37m at the shoulder

What are the deer species living in the uk? And what is their weight and height? Are they native or not ?

Sika deer , non native, weigh up to 70kg, reach 0.95m at shoulder

What are the deer species living in the uk? And what is their weight and height? Are they native or not ?

Fallow deer, non native , weigh up to 70kg, reach 0.90m at shoulder

What are the deer species living in the uk? And what is their weight and height? Are they native or not ?

Muntjac deer, non native, weigh up to 18kg , reach up to 0.52m at shoulder

What are the deer species living in the uk? And what is their weight and height? Are they native or not ?

Chinese water deer, non native, weigh up to 18kg, reach 0.55m at shoulder

Deer farming in the uk is a relatively recent development, what happened before?

They were hunted

When was the first commercial deer farm in the uk started ?

The 1970s

When were the first deer parks introduced ?

in the 1600s on a commercial farm in Scotland

Is deer meat considered healthier than many other meat products and why?

Yes, half the calories of some beef cuts whilst ta

Advantage of deer meat?

More diverse range of nutrients than in many other meat products

Disadvantage of deer meat?

Higher in cholesterol

What has pushed an increase in the number of farmed deer in the UK?

Pressure for retailers to stop importing venison from overseas

Advantages of deer farming over other farmed species ?

Labour

What are challenges of deer farming over other farmed species ?

Handling and infrastructure / not domestic

fewer processing sites for deer, greater distances between enterprises and markets

Less deer specific transportation

What are the 3 types of deer?

Wild, farmed and park

What are wild deer?

Living in wild environment , limited if any human contact

What are parked deer?

Restricted environment, likely a small amount of human contact

What are farmed deer?

Restricted environment, a larger amount of human contact is likely

Do we use indoor housing systems for deer management ?

Some indoor housing systems exist but are not common, some are housed over winter months

How do we manage deer as they are practically impossible to handle loose in the field ?

Field based and indoor handling systems are common, funnelling them into a race getting smaller and smaller

They can be trained to follow a bag of feed, shaking the bag and giving small amount of food, need to use sparingly to be effective

What considerations for other livestock species apply to deer and camelids?

Threats of predation

What considerations for other livestock species apply to deer and camelids?

Environmental protection

What considerations for other livestock species apply to deer and camelids?

Disease transmission

What considerations for other livestock species apply to deer and camelids?

Pasture management

Deer can have significant impact on the environment when populations increase, deer density and distribution have dramatically changed. What impacts are these?

Putting browsing pressure on new woodlands and ground flora

What are obligate nasal breathers?

Breathe through their nose rather than their mouth

Are camelids obligate nasal breathers ?

Yes

Why does the halter on a camelid need to be as high up the face as possible?

As their nose bone does not extend to the end of the nose and the halter needs to be on the bone, nor just the flesh

Deer can have significant impact on the environment when populations increase, deer density and distribution have dramatically changed. What impacts are these?

Reducing timber crops through damaging vegetation through browsing

Deer can have significant impact on the environment when populations increase, deer density and distribution have dramatically changed. What impacts are these?

Direct agricultural damage

What on stags are considered cranial appendages?

Antlers and horns

What family are antlers only found in?

The cervidea family , exposed living bone which can completely and periodically regenerate in adult animals

What family do horns only found in?

Bovid family, keratinous sheath covering a bony horn core which is not shed

True or false: deer are thought to be the only mammals able to regenerate lost body parts that are structural and functional

True

What is loss of antlers triggered by in deer?

Fall in testosterone levels (linked to day length)

Why do deer parks and farms often cut deer antlers?

Management ease, should be done after they have grown and hardened when they can be sawn off.

Why should we wait until antlers have grown and hardened before sawing them off ?

They have a blood flow through them to the velvet (skin) until this point

each year a stag will regrow antlers, what happens to the antlers as they age?

Will get progressively more branched as they age to an extent, some dictation by genetics and body condition

What are camelids?

Even-todd ungulates (hoofed animals ) belonging to the order of aridactyla

What are the two domesticated species of camels?

batrician and dromedary

Where is camel milk and meat popular?

Camel milk doesn’t have a big demand in the uk, is more popular in arid, semi arid locations, camel meat is popular where camels thrive

What are some properties of camel milk?

Slightly lower ph range than cattle milk

What are some properties of camel milk?

Low fat content with smaller fat globules

What are some properties of camel milk?

Vitamin C is 3-5 times higher than in cattle milk

What are some properties of camel milk?

Bacteriacidal and hostile to hepatitis , resists contamination

What are some properties of camel milk?

Lacks B-lactoglobulin which is found in cow milk (protein) and triggers allergic reaction and contains more antimicrobial agents

Properties of camel meat?

Not a popular choice in uk, generally only available from online suppliers, valued in other parts of the world

Properties of camel meat?

More environmentally friendly, 1/3 of cattle methane emissions when fed same diet as conventional cattle

Produce less than other camelids (llama/alpaca)

Properties of camel meat?

Meat has lower cholesterol, intramuscular fat and higher iron content

When did the first camel dairy open in the uk?

2021 in Warwickshire

Camel milk is generally more expensive and less produced, what are some products made ?

Liquid milk, camel soap, milk capsules

When were camels domesticated? Batrician? Dromedary?

Batrician: 5,000-6,000 years ago, dromedary: 3,000-4,000 years ago

What behaviour of llamas are used as a warning?

Spitting, before this though there is ears back, chin lifted, feet movements

What were llamas originally used as?

Pack animals (working animal to transport goods) and meat animals (carrying upwards of 70-80lb)

How many alpaca are there approximately in the UK?

70,000 and there population is increasing

What are the two breeds of alpaca?

Huacaya (fluffier and fleece-y coat which is soft and thick)

Sufi (less fluffy with shiny dreadlocks)

What can alpaca and llama coat be used for ?

Clothing, alpaca is more popular though as llama is generally coarser

Properties of alpaca fleece?

Fine and hypoallergenic, finer than wool from sheep or llamas with a lower ‘prickle’ factor and flame resistant

It doesn’t contain lalolin (wax secreted by many wool animals ) , comes in an array of natural colours and can be coloured easily