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
• Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals: The Farming of Deer - Australia
• 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

• Deer & Elk Farming - Rutgers Cooperative Extension
• Deer farming guidelines on practical aspects - Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Elk - Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
• Elk/Deer - Saskatchewan Agriculture, Food and Rural Revitalization
• How Many Nutrient Units Do I Have? Deer and Elk Operations - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Elk Breeders Homepage - Wapiti.net
• Elk Production - Penn State Cooperative Extension
• Red Deer Production - Penn State Cooperative Extension
• 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 - (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
• Chronic Wasting Disease - Center for Food Security and Public Health, Iowa State University
• Chronic Wasting Disease - New Permit System
• Diseases of Deer and Elk - Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
• Guidelines and Eligibility Criteria for the Ontario Chronic Wasting Disease Voluntary Surveillance Project for Farmed Cervids
• Parasites and Deer - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Velveting of Deer and Xylazine - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• National Cervid Farm - Level Biosecurity Standard - Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Deer Health Factsheets - Deer Industry Association of Australia

White-tailed Deers

Construction & Operating Costs for Whitetail Deer Farms - Oklahoma State University

Housing

• 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
• Deerfarmers.com
• Deer Industry Association of Australia
• New Zealand Deer Velvet
• North American Deer & Elk Farmers Association
• North American Elk Breeders Association

Resources & Publications

Legislation, Regulation & Policy

• Chronic Wasting Disease and Cervidae Regulations in North America - CWD Alliance

Marketing

• Provincially Licensed Abattoirs - Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
• Protocol to Import Cervids into Quebec
• Agricultural Business Management

Statistics

• Alternative Livestock on Canadian Farms - Census Years 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, and 2006 - Statistics Canada
• Annual Game Report - Agriculture & 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