The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Feedback sought on proposed changes to deer welfare code

By Shawn McAvinue
Otago Daily Times·
28 Sep, 2022 03:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Photo / Tracey Roxburgh
Photo / Tracey Roxburgh

Photo / Tracey Roxburgh

Feedback is being sought on proposed changes to the code of welfare for deer.

The National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee reviewed the code and determined it required amendments to incorporate advances in animal welfare science and updates to deer farming systems and management practices.

Proposals for changes to existing minimum standards include stockpersonship; animal handling and restraint; feed and water; shade and shelter; farm and off-paddock facilities; hand-reared and orphan fawns; weaning; pre-transport selection and management; disease and injury control.

Proposals for new minimum standards include deer behaviour; selection and breeding; mating, semen collection and reproductive technologies; milking deer; fawning; velvet antler removal; end-of-life management; on-farm humane killing; and contingency planning.

Deer Industry New Zealand chief executive Innes Moffat said a draft code was "a positive forward-looking document".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Most of the proposed changes to minimum standards are based on good farming practice."

A few changes would need further consideration by deer farmers and veterinarians who had experience with farmed deer, he said.

The deer farming industry was well-known for its high standards of animal welfare, Moffat said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"So the release of the revised code is not a reflection of welfare concerns. It is simply the latest in a long list of codes of welfare for farm animals to be updated."

The code had a minor update in 2018, but most of the provisions had not been reviewed since 2007.

"This current review will stand us in good stead for at least the next decade."

Proposed changes include minimum standards for milking deer, more guidance on mating management, managing deer in enclosed spaces and a requirement for all farmers to have a written up-to-date animal health plan based on veterinary advice.

As part of its review, the committee was proposing a regulation prohibiting the use of electro-immobilisation devices on deer.

Deer Industry New Zealand supported the change as those devices were not suitable for deer and their use had long been discouraged, Moffat said.

It also supported the recommendation for a new regulation requiring deer managed in intensive winter grazing systems to have clean drinking water available in the grazing area at all times.

"This is simply a reflection of good farming practice."

Next month, Deer Industry New Zealand would consult deer farmers before drafting a submission on the code.

Moffat strongly encouraged farmers and others whose work involves handling deer, such as deer vets, transport operators and stock agents, to read the draft code and make their own submissions.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Maple Valley Deer co-owner Peter Allan runs about 1200 red deer with his wife, Dianne, on their farm in Central Southland.

He had been deer farming on the property between Dipton and Balfour for more than 40 years and was on the industry group consulted by the committee during the revision of the code.

"I'll be surprised if there's too many people who are annoyed about what has been put in because it's very fair across the board."

A lot of the proposed code was "common-sense".

Read More

  • Mandy Bell elected as new chair of Deer Industry NZ board
  • Deer Industry NZ on mission to challenge Russia's edge in velvet exports
  • Government-backed deer industry deal deemed a success
  • Invermay Agricultural Centre celebrating 50 years of deer farming

"We are putting all the onus and responsibility on the farmers, as it should be."

For a deer farm to remain "productive and profitable" there was "no room for complacency".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"There's no room for cowboys."

Allan encouraged deer farmers to read the draft code and make a submission, even if they were in support of the proposal.

"It's their future."

Consultation closes at 5 pm on November 10.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Storm-hit region faces 57-hour drenching; heavy rain to hit north of both islands

09 Jul 03:54 AM
The Country

David Seymour co-hosts The Country

09 Jul 02:22 AM
The Country

‘Clearly preventable’: Company, director sentenced over timber yard death

09 Jul 01:26 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Armed police cordon off Hamilton street after serious firearms incident
New Zealand

Armed police cordon off Hamilton street after serious firearms incident

09 Jul 11:42 AM
Red Bull parts ways with longtime F1 boss Christian Horner
Sport

Red Bull parts ways with longtime F1 boss Christian Horner

09 Jul 10:00 AM
Against the odds: Maroons triumph in epic State of Origin decider
Rugby League

Against the odds: Maroons triumph in epic State of Origin decider

09 Jul 09:30 AM
Jacinda Ardern says she'll provide evidence to Covid Royal Commission
Politics

Jacinda Ardern says she'll provide evidence to Covid Royal Commission

09 Jul 08:35 AM
Lotto numbers revealed in giant $10m Powerball draw
New Zealand

Lotto numbers revealed in giant $10m Powerball draw

09 Jul 08:32 AM

Latest from The Country

Storm-hit region faces 57-hour drenching; heavy rain to hit north of both islands

Storm-hit region faces 57-hour drenching; heavy rain to hit north of both islands

09 Jul 03:54 AM

Friday is expected to bring the worst of the heavy rain, which lingers into the weekend.

David Seymour co-hosts The Country

David Seymour co-hosts The Country

09 Jul 02:22 AM
‘Clearly preventable’: Company, director sentenced over timber yard death

‘Clearly preventable’: Company, director sentenced over timber yard death

09 Jul 01:26 AM
'David and Goliath': Australian gold mine company makes $25m Central Otago land deal

'David and Goliath': Australian gold mine company makes $25m Central Otago land deal

09 Jul 12:54 AM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search