Deer and Elk

Welcome to the OMAFRA Deer and Elk website. Here you will find a wealth of information relevant to Ontario's Deer and Elk industry. The resources listed below include OMAFRA Factsheets and Information Sheets, as well as key links to information on internal and external sites.

Animal Welfare

• Best Management Practices to Recover Escaped or Released Farmed Deer or Elk - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Order No. 06-077)
• Code of practice for the care and handling of farm animals - Farmed Deer - National Farm Animal Care Council
• Code of Accepted Farming Practice for the Welfare of Deer - Victoria, Australia
• Code of Recommendations for the Welfare of Farmed Deer - Department of Food and Rural Affairs, UK
• Deadstock Disposal - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Recommended Code of Practice - Transportation - National Farm Animal Care Council
• Recovery Protocol for Escaped or Released Farmed Deer and Elk - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• The Australian Deer Industry Code of Practice for the Welfare of Deer

Production Management

• Advances and Challenges in Deer Biology - Australia
• Cervid Feeding - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Deer & Elk Farming - Rutgers Cooperative Extension
• Elk/Deer - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
• White-Tailed Deer - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
• Virtual Farm Tour–Deer & Elk – OFAC

Nutrition & Feeding

• Pasture and Forages for Wapiti - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
• Pasture and Forages for White-Tailed Deer - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization

Manure and Nutrient Management

• How Many Nutrient Units Do I Have? Deer and Elk Operations - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Elk

• Elk Breeders Homepage - Wapiti Net
• Elk Behaviour & Habits - North American Game Species
• Elk Production - Penn State Cooperative Extension
• Ground Level Elk Handling Facilities - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization

Red Deer

• Red Deer Production - Penn State Cooperative Extension

Fallow Deer

• Fallow Deer Production - Penn State Cooperative Extension

Health Management

• A Review of the Diseases and Parasites of Farmed Cervids - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Chronic Wasting Disease Alliance
• Chronic Wasting Disease - Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• Chronic Wasting Disease - (Order No. 11-025)
• Chronic Wasting Disease - Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), United States Department of Agriculture
• Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) of Elk & Deer - Alberta Agriculture, Food & Rural Development
• Chronic Wasting Disease of Deer & Elk - Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Diseases of Deer - Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
• Guidelines and Eligibility Criteria for the Ontario Chronic Wasting Disease Voluntary Surveillance Project for Farmed Cervids Updated - April 2013
• Ontario's CWD Surveillance & Response Plan - Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• Parasites and Deer - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Velveting of Deer and Xylazine - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Withdrawal Times for Medicines Used in Deer - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Housing

• Elk Calf Shelter on Pasture - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Farm Layout or Deer and Elk - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Order No. 11-013)
• Fencing for Deer and Elk - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (Order No. 97-027)

Producer and Industry Groups

• Alberta White-Tail and Mule Deer Association
• British Deer Farmers Association
• Canadian Cervid Alliance
• Deerfarmers.com
• Deer Industry Association of Australia
• New Zealand Deer Velvet
• North American Deer & Elk Farmers Association
• North American Elk Breeders Association
• Ontario Deer & Elk Farmers Association

Resources & Publications

• Deer Farmer's Digest Newsletter
• Deer Farming Publication - New Zealand

Legislation, Regulation & Policy

• Chronic Wasting Disease and Cervidae Regulations in North America - CWD Alliance
• Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act & Regulations - Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
• Health of Animals Act - Department of Justice, Canada

Marketing

• Provincially Licensed Abattoirs - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Protocol to Import Cervids into Quebec
• Animal Density Maps for Canada - University of Manitoba
• Agricultural Business Management

Research

• Deer Research Reports - Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Australia

Statistics

• Alternative Livestock on Canadian Farms - Census Years 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006 - Statistics Canada
• Annual Game Report - Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
• Farmed Deer in Canada by Specie and Area - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Number of Alternative Livestock and Gamebirds Processed for Meat in Ontario Federal/Provincial Combined Statistics - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs