Aug 15, 2024
Inside Knowledge
In June a crowd of 22 attended a Winter Barn Tour hosted by the Southland Deer Environment group.
Facilitator Nicola McGrouther led the tour visiting three farmers with wintering barns in the Gore district: Doug McCall, Bruce Allan, and Tony and Michelle Roberts.
Barn wintering farmers L to R: Doug McCall, Bruce Allan and Tony Roberts
Photo credit: Nicola McGrouther
Those attending were keen to learn about different systems, and some were considering indoor wintering, she said.
“Farmers were interested to know what and how much to feed. Each farmer had a slightly different approach, but all emphasised the importance of good quality feed.”
Also highlighted was the importance of space, good light and good bedding.
Sawdust was the preferred bedding option but with much of the local source now being diverted for fuel at the local timber mill woodchips were also being used.
Photo credit: Nicola McGrouther
Tony and Michelle Roberts are in their seventh season of indoor wintering in a converted 684sqm shed for 168 hinds, with an adjoining single pen for 98 weaners. There's also a purpose-built five-bay 918sqm shed for 180 stags. The deer are wintered indoors from early June to late September on balage with an ME of 10-plus and crude protein of 18.5%.
Also in his seventh season of barn wintering is Bruce Allan. He winters up to 350 stags in three sheds. There are two Alpine kitset sheds - 160sqm and 360 sqm, and a 760sqm Redpath (plastic roof) shed. Fine-chop silage is fed daily along one side of each shed. Last year a concrete silage bunker was constructed which has reduced wastage and made loading the wagon easier and faster. Bruce said keeping deer indoors reduces the area in winter crop, minimises pugging and damage of pastures in autumn and sets them up well for spring growth.
Doug McCall winters 170 - 180 weaners in two sheds, one converted from a haybarn and the other a purpose built PVC-roofed shed. The weaners are post-rut weaned into the shed and self-feed on red clover or high quality young grass balage from feeders topped up every five days. Doug is building a third shed for velvet stags.
All three farmers said they liked indoor wintering and although the cost, if starting from scratch was high, the move was worth considering if there were existing sheds that could be adapted.
Deer Facts
Wintering deer indoors
https://deernz.org.nz/assets/Deer-Facts/DeerFact_IndoorWintering_V2_Web.pdf
Deer Industry News - Issue 117, March 2023
‘Insider Knowledge’ by Tony & Michelle Roberts
https://deernz.org/home/our-stories/deer-industry-news-issue-117-march-2023/
