Raising spotted deer as a specialty, Soc Trang farmer feeds them Japanese grass, people are coming to see

Mr. Lam Khel, Thuan Hung commune, My Tu district ( Soc Trang province) boldly bought 16 sika deer for breeding. Currently, the sika deer herd is growing very well and has harvested deer antlers to sell to the output purchasing unit.

In Vietnam, sika deer are raised mainly for their velvet antlers (antlers, young horns), because deer velvet antlers contain many vitamins and minerals that are good for human health.

Deer antlers have a fairly high market price. After researching and finding that this model is suitable for local conditions, Mr. Lam Khel, Thuan Hung commune, My Tu district (Soc Trang province) boldly bought 16 sika deer to raise.

Currently, the sika deer herd is growing very well and has harvested antlers to sell to the output purchasing unit.

Mr. Lam Khel shared: “I have been raising sika deer for more than 2 years. Initially, I bought 16 deer to raise, of which there were only 2 males. Up to now, the herd has a total of 21 deer.

Compared to other livestock, raising deer is easy to care for, the cage does not need to be cleaned daily and there is no need to use mosquito nets to avoid flies and mosquitoes.

On the floor of the barn, I pour a layer of rice husks about 2 inches deep to prevent the deer's feet from being scratched when moving and the rice husks also help absorb the waste the deer excrete every day."

According to Mr. Khel, deer do not eat much (each day, 10 adult deer only eat the equivalent amount of food of 1 adult cow) but must provide enough fresh green food for deer every day.

Therefore, to proactively provide food for the deer herd, Mr. Khel converted 2 hectares of rice fields to grow Japanese grass. In addition to grass, deer can also eat other foods such as jackfruit leaves, banana leaves, watercress, sweet potato vines, cabbage, etc.

Deer do not need to be bathed or cleaned, just need to be cleaned and removed of chaff twice a year, but the barn does not smell.

Leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Soc Trang province visited the deer farming model at Mr. Lam Khel's household, Thuan Hung commune, My Tu district (Soc Trang province). Photo: THUY LIEU.

Female sika deer grow from birth to reproduction in 18 months, and weigh from 40 to 60 kg when fully grown. Male deer weigh from 60 to 80 kg, and from birth to antlers being harvested in 24 months or more.

Deer have a lifespan of 15 - 18 years, the best time to harvest antlers is in the 5th year, when the antlers reach a maximum weight of 800 grams and the time to harvest antlers is when the antlers grow from 50 - 55 days. After 2 years of raising, Mr. Khel harvested antlers from 2 male sika deer, weighing 1kg, and the breeding unit guaranteed the output price of 20 million VND/kg.

Associate Professor, Dr. Ho Thanh Tham - Faculty of Animal Husbandry, School of Agriculture ( Can Tho University) shared that to take care of the deer herd to develop well, farmers need to pay attention not to feed the deer too much concentrated food when hungry; do not change the diet suddenly; ensure the food source is clean, not moldy, spoiled and should not let the deer eat wet grass or leaves.

When male deer begin to grow antlers, they need a higher nutritional regimen (supplemented with foods such as bananas, corn kernels, carrots) so that the antlers reach weight and have high economic value.

In addition, during the breeding process, it is necessary to pay attention to preventing common diseases in deer such as liver fluke, pneumonia (in young deer), diseases related to the digestive tract, septicemia, blood parasites, etc.

Comrade Huynh Ngoc Nha - Provincial Party Committee member, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Soc Trang said that the model of raising spotted deer for velvet antlers at Mr. Lam Khel's household is quite new in the province. In terms of long-term effectiveness, raising deer for velvet antlers brings a fairly good source of income to the household.

Because through initial assessment, deer farming is quite suitable for local natural conditions, so the deer herd is developing very well. The provincial Department of Agriculture will direct specialized units under the department to provide technical support, regularly monitor the growth and development of the deer herd raised at households to promptly provide necessary support.

Source: https://danviet.vn/nuoi-huou-sao-lam-con-dac-san-ong-nong-dan-soc-trang-cho-an-co-nhat-nguoi-ta-dang-toi-xem-20241216230900287.htm