Deer Industry Farming Best Practice Manual

Summary

The Deer Industry Association of Australia’s (DIAA) Best Practice Manual (BPM) is in need of modernisation. The audience for the BPM has evolved beyond solely deer owners to include government, consumers and customers, other agricultural industries, environmental and animal welfare organisations and neighbours. The new BPM must address key issues for all stakeholders through a complete and clear presentation of deer farming best practices, complemented by appropriate commentary. The BPM should avoid being prescriptive; best practice to be presented as an agreed way to achieve the best outcome, but one that can be modified when individual circumstances dictate. For this to be acceptable, alternative approaches must be clear, defensible and reasonable.
To aid this the BPM will include preliminary sections describing unique aspects of deer biology and behaviour (and how these often limit interventions and require tailored management and/or facilities to manage) and the annual cycle of venison and velvet production systems and their management cycle and infrastructure requirements. This presents the logic underpinning individual deer management interventions and information for potential new entrants into deer farming. Industry will also present current positions on the ownership of deer (commercial and not-for-profit), differentiation between farmed and wild/feral deer, industry environmental aspirations and credentials, animal welfare, biosecurity, and product assurance/quality assurance schemes.
The BPM must be owned by industry; we will develop the manual in consultation with DIAA representatives. The BPM must also be to the standard of other animal industry manuals and speak to external stakeholders (such as government and regulators).

Program

Deer

Research Organisation

Herd Health Pty Ltd