Binh Phuoc: Starting a business from raising deer for velvet

Raising deer for reproduction and antlers is a model that has existed for a long time in Binh Phuoc province. Deer antlers have high nutritional value, are used to prepare oriental medicine, and have the effect of nourishing the body and increasing resistance. Because of their high nutritional value, the price of deer antlers on the market is not cheap. For many years, Mr. Nguyen Van Que in village 2, Thien Hung commune, Bu Dop district has invested in raising deer, earning hundreds of millions of dong each year.

Boldly change direction

Previously, Mr. Nguyen Van Que raised goats. Because the price of meat goats fell, after deducting expenses, he only made a few tens of millions of dong each year. After researching information on social networks, he boldly invested in raising deer for reproduction and antlers. Taking advantage of the large land, he built a barn on an area of 150 square ^meters . The barn is mainly made of wood, with a cement floor and a slope for drainage. The barn is built to be cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and ensure light. Initially, he tested raising 6 deer to understand the growth habits of deer. After many years, the herd of deer has grown to more than 20, of which 8 males are being exploited for antlers.

The herd of deer of Mr. Nguyen Van Que's family in village 2, Thien Hung commune, Bu Dop district

Mr. Que said that deer are easy to raise, have high economic value, and can be fed from waste products from plants, vegetables, and tubers in the garden. During the 18-month raising period, mature female deer are mated, and male deer begin to sprout antlers. A mature female deer weighs about 45-50kg, male deer weighs from 65-90kg. Male deer raised for 24 months can be harvested for antlers, each weighing from 250-300g of antlers. The longer the deer are raised, the more antlers they have, and the higher the profit. Normally, the best time to raise deer for antlers is 5 years, at which time the antlers will reach a weight of about 800g, and if well cared for, they will produce more antlers. Deer antlers have high nutritional value and are used to make oriental medicine products and nutritious foods for health. 1kg of antlers costs from 23-25 million VND.

Mr. Que shared: “Deer antlers are expensive but not for sale. A pair of deer antlers is about 18 million VND, a larger pair is sold at a higher price. Antlers mainly grow in the spring and are collected from February to June every year. During this period, it is necessary to increase the amount of nutritious food for deer.”

Model for high income

Raising deer does not use industrial feed, so the investment cost is low. A deer eats very little, only 1/3 of the feed of a cow. On average, each deer eats 5-6kg of grass per day. Every time he feeds the deer grass and acacia leaves, Mr. Que often uses a small cutter to put them in a trough. In the garden, Mr. Que spends about 3 sao of land growing grass to proactively provide food for the deer. In addition, deer also eat starchy foods such as corn, black beans, white beans, red beans, peanuts; vegetables such as water spinach, sweet potato leaves and some other wild vegetables. Thanks to taking advantage of the abundant food source of vegetable, root and fruit waste in the garden, Mr. Que spends very little on food. During the period of pregnancy and velvet production, deer need to be supplemented with adequate nutrients and starchy foods, especially nuts. Every day, add salt to the drinking water or hang a salt lick in the corner of the cage to supplement minerals for the deer to grow healthily. Mr. Que said: “Deer are easy to care for animals and have high resistance. However, breeders need to pay attention that if they feed them strange or spoiled food, they are very susceptible to diarrhea. When deer have bloating and flatulence, I often feed them guava leaves and green bananas, and the disease gradually subsides and is cured after a few days.”

Deer's food is mainly grass, corn, peanuts... and many other vegetables, tubers and fruits.

Not only raising deer for velvet, Mr. Que also raises deer for reproduction, providing deer for people in the surrounding area. Female deer are pregnant for 7.5 months, each litter gives birth to 1 deer. Currently, deer for reproduction have a very high selling price, a 6-month-old deer costs from 15-17 million VND. Deer meat is sold for 450,000 VND/kg. With the model of raising deer for reproduction combined with velvet, each year, after deducting expenses, Mr. Que makes a profit of about 200 million VND. Mr. Que said that the model of raising deer for velvet costs little, takes the initiative in food sources, takes labor as profit and makes use of free time to do other things. After 8 years of starting a business with this model, Mr. Que's family economy has grown more and more. In the future, he will build more barns and expand livestock farming.

According to the Farmers' Association of Thien Hung Commune, the deer farming model is suitable for households with little land. Each household with 2-3 sao of land can grow grass and build livestock barns. In addition to Mr. Que's household, which is raising deer effectively, there is another household that also raises about 20 deer. After many years of development, the model has been promoting economic efficiency, bringing stable income to households.

Source