A guide to calculating the proportion of hinds required to be mated to maternal sires to breed replacement females and the proportion that could be mated to higher growth rate sires to increase venison production.
Mate allocation calculator
Sires with EBVs for 12 month weight, or 'Early Kill' index can be viewed on the deer select tables. The calculator can be customised to a herd's typical reproduction and survival rates.
To go to the Mate allocation calculator, click here >>
The calculator is designed to give an indication of the number of hinds required to be mated to maternal genetics to produce the required number of female replacements and the number of hinds that could be mated to terminal sires. Terminal sires may be higher growth rate Reds, Wapiti or Elk.
How to use the calculator
Set your herd size, maximum age of hinds, death/culling rates on the front page, whether replacements are kept from first calvers and if any replacement hinds are purchased.
To account for any losses or later selection between weaning and entering the herd as two year olds we recommend setting the minimum replacement pool size to 20- 25% extra. Use the 'More Settings' button to refine the reproduction parameters of your herd - using the sliders and Yes/No options.
You can check your settings against the total numbers of fawns/calves weaned on the main screen - does it match your typical result? The results are intended as a guide only.
