The village chief gathered villagers to raise spotted deer and help each other get rich.

Before coming to the deer farming business, Mr. Tru used to raise cows and buffaloes. "Raising cows and buffaloes requires waking up early to cut grass, and even in the hot afternoon, you still have to go herding them, but it's only enough to cover household expenses," he said. After 8 years of working in the barn, he decided to stop. He switched to a catering service and raised pigs and poultry to proactively source food for the restaurant, increasing his income.

In 2019, he had the opportunity to visit a deer farming model in Tuyen Quang province. “In two months of research, I realized that this model brings a steady income and is easier to care for than previous livestock. But when I returned, I was still struggling. Investing in each pair of deer costs more than 30 million VND, which is not a small amount of money, and without experience, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to raise them,” Mr. Tru recalled.

Besides, according to Mr. Tru, at that time, the people in the commune were still hesitant about the new breed of livestock. Many people whispered that raising deer was not suitable, they were afraid of diseases, and no one had experience or care techniques. It was this skepticism that motivated him to take the lead in testing the new model locally.

New model helps increase income, gather livestock farmers

After several months of building the barn himself, he carefully selected two pairs of breeding deer. The male deer had large, round antlers; the female deer were round and weighed about 25-30kg. The initial investment was about 85 million VND, of which 50 million was borrowed from the Social Policy Bank, the rest was the family's own capital.

Village chief gathers villagers to raise spotted deer, helping each other get rich photo 1

Village chief gathers villagers to raise spotted deer, helping each other get rich photo 2

Deer farming model of Mr. Nguyen Van Tru in Phuong Do commune, Ha Giang city.

However, due to his lack of experience in raising deer, the first year became an expensive lesson. All four fawns born from the two original breeding pairs died one after another. “I did not know that the mother deer after giving birth was very sensitive and would not accept her cubs if isolated. When I brought the fawns back to the pen after a period of separation, the mother deer refused to breastfeed them anymore,” Tru recalled. That year, the male deer were not old enough to produce antlers, so he had no source of income. “I considered that crop a total loss,” he said sadly.

According to Mr. Tru, although raising deer has fewer diseases than pigs and chickens, it is necessary to ensure food sources and clean barns. For barns, to prevent moisture, he adds layers of rice husks and sawdust, ensuring that the deer have a dry, airy space to sleep. In cold weather, he will cover them with tarpaulin to keep them warm. Food sources such as grass, neem leaves, jackfruit leaves, and corn kernels are also taken from nature or imported from guaranteed sources. "The biggest cost is the import price, the food for deer each year only costs about 300 - 400 thousand VND/deer, so deer bring good income if the raising techniques are ensured," Mr. Tru shared.

Since the second year, the deer farming model has started to generate income for Mr. Tru from selling deer breeds and antlers (antlers - PV), with an income of over 80 million VND per year. Currently, his farm has 8 pairs of deer, both for antler exploitation and breeding. “Although the model is still small, the deer have brought a stable source of income. Each male can produce antlers for about 18 years, and at the same time, reproduction helps to gradually increase the number of deer in the farm, increasing income from selling breeding animals,” Mr. Tru shared.

After many years of confirming the effectiveness of the deer farming model, Mr. Tru began to share his experience with the people in the commune and received a positive response. Currently, the deer farming group in Phuong Do commune has 8 members with a total herd of 54 deer. “The group helps each other in farming techniques, especially how to cut deer antlers without anesthesia. In addition, the members also promote the Phuong Do deer brand to more customers. Buyers can come to the place and directly witness the antler cutting process to increase reliability,” Mr. Tru shared.

Village chief gathers villagers to raise spotted deer, helping each other get rich photo 3

Mr. Nguyen Van Cu, a member of the deer breeding group in Phuong Do commune, harvests deer antlers.

In the future, he plans to invest in expanding the scale of livestock farming, while combining the barn tour model with food services, to develop local experiential tourism .

Mr. Nguyen Van Cu, Vice Chairman of Phuong Do Commune People's Council and also a member of the local deer farming group, said that the group members, from the youngest person who is only 26 years old to the oldest person over 50, all strive to support and help each other in developing the deer farming model. "The deer farming model initiated by Mr. Tru brings a new direction for the people, contributing to increasing income. Thanks to that, many young people in the commune have stable jobs, have a model to invest in, reducing the need to work for hire or work far away in industrial parks," Mr. Cu shared.

Success

Source: https://tienphong.vn/truong-thon-tap-hop-nguoi-dan-nuoi-huou-sao-cung-giup-nhau-lam-giau-post1745621.tpo