Key Technical Points for Safe Overwintering in Velvet Deer Farming

Cold protection and insulation

When the outside temperature is 15°C, a portion of the nutrients taken in from feed must be diverted to resist the cold in order to maintain normal body temperature. At this time, in northern regions, 1 to 2 layers of bundled corn stalks should be set up outside the deer shed walls to block wind and cold; spread 10 to 15 cm of bedding straw on the animal beds so the deer feel warm and comfortable when lying down.

Driving the herd at night

Deer lack the habit of defecating and urinating in fixed locations, especially during nighttime sleep when they often urinate and defecate where they lie, making the animal beds damp. During nighttime feeding, the deer should be driven from the animal beds to the exercise yard to defecate and urinate, and then given a night meal, which is greatly beneficial for helping the deer resist the cold.

Preventing slips and protecting pregnancy

In northern winters, snowmelt and frozen urine often accumulate in the pens, making the deer prone to slipping and falling, causing skin cuts, strained tendons, or even fractures. Especially after pregnant does slip and fall, mechanical miscarriage is likely to occur. To reduce ground slipperiness, keep a layer of deer dung in the exercise yard during winter, and promptly remove accumulated snow and frozen urine in the pens, which can reduce external injuries and prevent mechanical miscarriage.

Proper exercise

Due to cold stimulation, the deer's body metabolism slows down and they are unwilling to move, which lowers the body's resistance. They should be artificially urged to exercise in order to improve the body's metabolic function, increase feed intake, improve cold resistance, promote the development of young deer, and prevent the occurrence of rickets; for does, it can enhance the tension of the uterine muscles and abdominal muscles, thereby reducing the rate of difficult births. Specific method: drive young deer or growing deer to exercise once in the morning and once in the afternoon each day, half an hour each time. For does, driving them to exercise once daily (half an hour) is sufficient.

Raising deer in warm sheds

Some old, weak, and sick deer have difficulty overwintering safely. These deer should be placed in warm sheds for rearing. Cover the pens with plastic greenhouses; during the day the shed is as warm as spring, and at night lower cold-proof curtains to prevent temperature loss, and with careful feeding, the deer can overwinter safely.

Adjusting the deer herd

After the long overwintering period, although the feeding and management conditions are the same, due to differences in individual physiological conditions, the deer will inevitably be divided into 3 grades in body condition: good, medium, and poor. Around the Spring Equinox, the deer herd should be adjusted once according to the principle of placing deer of the same grade in the same pen, so that deer with poor body condition can catch up as soon as possible, laying a good foundation for their normal antler growth and fawning.