Deer Farming in Pakistan
Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Deer Farming, Pakistan, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council on Saturday, 26 January 2013
Deer
farming has been well established for a century or more in the Far
East. However, it is a new enterprise elsewhere which during recent
years has been increasingly accepted as an economically promising
industry. New species have been successfully tried and farming
techniques are becoming more sophisticated. Many deer farms are,
however, improperly run because either the owners or managers are not
up-to-date with deer husbandry methods, or they lack relevant knowledge
of the biology of the species concerned.
The
deer family (Cervidae) has almost a world-wide distribution, having
been introduced into Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and some other,
smaller islands. They do not occur in Africa south of the Sahara. The
normal dentition of all deer is either 32 or 34 teeth. Canines are
present in the lower jaw of all species and in the upper jaw of red
deer, wapiti and musk deer. Grinding teeth consist of three molars and
three premolars, top and bottom, on each side of the jaw. All deer have
six incisors and two lower canines at birth, which are milk teeth. All
deer are four-toed; the two middle toes make up a cloven hoof. The
stomach is four-chambered and ruminating. A gall bladder is absent,
except in musk deer. All deer possess facial glands situated in front of
the eye which discharge a strong-smelling secretion.
By
“deer farming” is meant the husband ring of deer populations for the
production of deer meat and by-products – including hides, velvet,
antlers and musk, – on a commercial basis. Although deer farming is not
aimed at the protection of endangered species, nevertheless among the 27
deer species and subspecies which are considered threatened by
extinction, there are two which have been maintained on farms, namely
the Himalayan musk deer and the Formosa sika. In other words, deer
farming can and does play a role in wildlife conservation.
In
future, deer farms could play an important role in rural land use
planning, because they can be established as economically viable units
on land that is presently marginal to conventional live-stock farming
operations or other types of land use. This is one reason why deer
farming could be relevant in developing countries, where the development
of this industry seems feasible.
Keeping
in view this scenario, PARC has taken a lead to introduce deer farming
in Pakistan. It has started a small scale Deer Farm at NARC to study
feeding, breeding and other behavioral parameters of keeping different
deer species in captivity. Necessary facilities and other infrastructure
has been established and a few deer have been shifted to the Farm. This
effort is anticipated to open new vistas of deer research and
development in the country for meat hides, velvet, antlers and musk
production.
