Fallow

Fallow deer farming is well established in New Zealand, although now occupies a small highly specialized niche as premium venison with a relatively small number of farmers.

Fallow are robust and can be farmed throughout New Zealand with a very low labour and daily cost input.

Fallow deer adapt readily to any farming environment being equally at home on lush, low lying high producing land to steep hilly farms.

Fallow deer are highly seasonal breeders. Does cycle in autumn, beginning from ten to fifteen April, with a 21 day oestrus.

About 85 per cent of Does usually conceive at first mating.  Gestation lasts 234 days, with fawning in December.

To improve performance many producers are using Danish, English, Hungarian or Mesopotamian bloodlines.

The Mesopotamian Fallow has become very popular, with hybrid bucks having real value as terminal sires improving carcase weights at 12- 15 months by as much as 15-17 percent. Female offspring are being retained as replacement breeding does of increased size to advance the mean fawning date by 10 - 14 days.