New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Shade and shelter for farmed deer in New Zealand: Results from a survey
of farmers
J. C. Pollard
R. P. Littlejohn
AgResearch
Invermay
Private Bag 50 034
Mosgiel, New Zealand
email: jo.pollard@agresearch.co.nz
A. J. T. Pearse
Deer Industry New Zealand
P.O. Box 10 702
Wellington, New Zealand
Abstract A questionnaire on shade and shelter was distributed
among deer farmers throughout New Zealand, and 89 were completed. Respondents
were possibly mainly people with a particular interest in the topic. Most
respondents felt that shelter improved deer health and growth (92 and 68%
of respondents, respectively), and 79% thought that shade was beneficial to
deer health. Ninety-five percent felt that vegetative cover for hiding improved
neonatal calf survival, and 80% thought that pacing along fencelines was
reduced by shelter. Questions on other aspects of productivity drew mixed
responses. Storms were rated as the most likely condition to induce sheltering,
followed by wind, sun, cold then rain, for most age classes of deer. An exception
to this was adult deer in summer, for which sun rated next highest after storms.
Farmers provided opinions on siting for shade and shelter, techniques for
protecting trees, and suitable species to plant. Improvements in deer welfare
and productivity are likely to result from disseminating this and related
information to the deer-farming community.
Keywords red deer; farming; survey; productivity; welfare;
shade; shelter
A02059; Received 4 September 2002; accepted 9 July 2003; online publication
date 5 November 2003
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2003, Vol. 46: 287–294
0028–8233/03/4604–0287 $7.00/0 © The Royal Society of New Zealand
2003
PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality (67K) |screen-quality (43K)
This year's abstracts |
Journal home page |
All abstracts |
Publishing home page
