02/03/2024
(Taken from another page)
Very early in the morning... and a roe deer is being driven crazy by the fresh, loose tatters of velvet hanging from his antlers.
In general, March is a turning point in the roe deer's year. The days are now much longer than they were and the behaviour of the deer changes, especially in the males.
Gone are the short days of winter, where the adult bucks displayed relative congeniality towards other the males. Now his urge to dominate is reactivated, and he will spurn the company of any bucks that could be threat to him.
He will increasingly harass and chase them, hither and thither, to vanquish them from his proximity.
Head-on-head combat will normally (but not always) occur when two similar sized bucks that are in 'hard horn' come together.
Most of the time, if one buck in hard horn meets another that is still in velvet, the male with the antlers that are still encased in the velvety sheath will back down.
In general, the oldest shed their velvet first.
The most likely time to see a buck displaying unusual behaviour is the day when the velvet starts to peel away.
When that happens, he will be particularly feisty, and the loose pieces of skin dangling from his antlers can drive him crazy, sometimes causing him to leap into the air, violently shaking his head to rid the irritating tatters from his crown.
This is also the month when the youngsters start to weaken the attachment to their mother. This is most noticeable with the bucks, who will periodically wander away from the parent.
Curiosity will often draw him towards seeking the company of an adult buck, who will probably offer him short shrift in the form of a short charge, when he gets too close. The adult is unlikely to pursue the young novice over a long distance though, unless he is a particularly well-developed individual. In which case, the unfortunate youngster will experience a much sterner response than a relatively minor admonishment.
This is also the time of year when the deer's body energy reserves are at their lowest - in some areas, the risk of starvation is a very one for certain individuals.
As well as the adult bucks becoming territorial, some of the mature does will be exhibit a significant change, as well: Those that are pregnant are likely to feed more often than those that are not, and their abdomen will be noticeably more rotund too.
To give information and pictures on the day to day running of the deer farm including:- maintenance, feeding, births, fatalities, culling & vermin control.
