Oct 9, 2026
Noticeboard | Issue 225 | October 2026
Deer Industry New Zealand Board Observer 2027/28
Deer Industry New Zealand (DINZ) invites expressions of interest for the role of Board Observer for 2027/28. This is an opportunity for personal and professional development to a person with an interest in the deer sector to join the DINZ board in an observer capacity for 18 months.
A selection committee of two DINZ Board members and the NZDFA Executive Committee Chair will assess expressions of interest and then interview a shortlist of candidates. An appointment will be made late November 2026, for a person to attend DINZ Board meetings during 2027 and 2028, with the first meeting in late February 2027.
Those interested in applying should submit an expression of interest to DINZ CEO rhys.griffiths@deernz.org by midday 14 November 2026. Please ensure you have “Board Observer” as the heading
Seasonal Climate Outlook October - December 2026
Very strong El Niño conditions are now present in the tropical Pacific and are expected to strengthen further. More details here>>>.
Looking for Work
I am on the search for a Deer farm job ideally in the location of Southland. I have had 3 years deer experience and am passionate about pursuing my interest and expertise in the deeper industry. I would really appreciate it, if there are any farms looking for an experienced deer enthusiast in southland NZ that you please get in touch with me back on this email or on my number.
Kind regards
Lachy Elder
027 357-9759
lachyelder@gmail.com
I am a first year vet student with a keen interest in the deer industry. I am hoping to find a one week deer placement.
Thanks,
Meg Evitt
meg.evitt7@gmail.com
Deer Select
Buying new sires this summer?
Make every selection count with Deer Select indexes and breeding values. Whether your focus is venison, velvet or a balance of both, rapid genetic progress within deer studs means there are high-performing animals available to suit a wide range of farming systems.
What’s new?
As more breeding values become available, identifying the right combination of traits can become complex. New indexes and sub-indexes make the process simpler by bringing key information together—much like the indexes already used in sheep breeding.
Weaning weight, autumn growth and W12 are combined and weighted according to their value in a standardised deer production system. Meat and reproduction breeding values are calculated in the same way. These sub-indexes then contribute to an overall dollar value per fawn or calf born, allowing you to quickly compare each animal’s strengths and select the best fit for your goals.
- RedMATN (maternal): growth, meat, reproduction and hind-weight sub-indexes
- RedTERM (terminal): growth and meat sub-indexes
- WapTERM (terminal): growth and meat sub-indexes
- CARLA: parasite-resistance sub-indexes for red deer and wapiti
Two new fertility breeding values have been introduced. These help safeguard reproduction and survival traits, which can decline when selection focuses too heavily on production alone. The result is a more balanced approach to breeding—and greater confidence that today’s genetic gains will support long-term herd performance.
For more details contact Sharon McIntyre (sharon.mcintyre@deernz.org or 027 634-9387).
New agriculture Codes of Practice for health and safety responsibilities on farms
Two new approved codes of practice (ACOPs) for New Zealand's agriculture sector have been released:
- Roles and responsibilities in agriculture
- Safe farm vehicle operation
The ACOPs will come into effect on 1 April 2027 to align with legislative changes introduced by the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Act 2026. The ACOPs provide a useful tool to understand what good health and safety practice on farms should look like and how it can support safer day-to-day work.
What the ACOPs cover
Roles and responsibilities in agriculture: Provides clarity about how health and safety duties are shared when responsibilities overlap. It explains that while tasks can be delegated, legal duties remain with those who hold them.
Safe farm vehicle operation: Focuses on managing serious vehicle-related risks. It provides practical information on selecting the right vehicle for the job, assessing conditions, reassessing risks when circumstances change, and keeping people safe around vehicle movements.
Deer Veterinary Medicine
To the New Zealand Deer Farmers Association
Deer Veterinary Medicine was published in 2025 and is a new book about deer that comprises 34 chapters and 38 authors.
The book was designed by the British Deer Veterinary Association (affiliated with the British Veterinary Association; formerly called the Veterinary Deer Society - VDS). It is builds on the substantial content of the book Management and Diseases of Deer, published by the VDS in 1994, edited by Tom Alexander and David Buxton.
The book is aimed at veterinary surgeons, particularly for those who may not know a great deal about deer. The book will also be of interest and assistance to people who work with deer including deer farmers / keepers / owners, deer managers and stalkers, also for veterinary students.
The first part of the book introduces selected deer species including those found in the UK and some in the USA. Subsequent chapters outline how they can be handled, restrained and managed in farms, parks and in the wild, leading onto the submission of deer carcases into the human food chain. Subsequent chapters provide overviews of the nutritional needs of deer, dealing with antlers, reproductive interventions and the needs of wild deer with particular reference to emergency situations.
Deer are susceptible to notifiable diseases (including Chronic Wasting Disease and Mycobacterium bovis (TB)); these and other notifiable conditions are discussed. Diseases are presented using a systems-based approach (including gut, nervous, ocular, respiratory and skin). There are chapters about some of the zoonotic diseases and agents that deer may harbour. Ticks and tick-borne diseases are an area of growing interest and are covered in one chapter.
Given their importance there are individual chapters about muntjac, reindeer and white-tailed deer. Finally, there are two chapters on postmortem examination and a drug formulary.
For more information see the Wiley websites
- https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Deer+Veterinary+Medicine-p-9781394221349
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781394221370
Wiley offer a 20% discount on sales.
Aiden P. Foster PhD
Editor of Deer Veterinary Medicine
Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol, UK (AFoster University of Bristol).
Events >>
Velvet competitions in:
- Hawke's Bay
- South Canterbury
- North Island
- Central regions & Taihape
- Marlbourgh
- National
- Kaipara
Jokes
My girlfriend's dog died, so to cheer her up, I got her an identical one. She was livid.
"What am I going to do with two dead dogs?"
My Grandad asked me how to print. I said "Control P"
He said: "I haven't been able to do that for years!"
Lady and the Farmer
A farmer stopped by a hardware store and bought a bucket and a gallon of paint. Then he stopped by the feed store and picked up a couple of chickens and a goose.
However, struggling outside the store, he wondered how to carry all his purchases home.
While he was scratching his head, he was approached by a lady who told him she was lost.
She asked, 'Can you tell me how to get to this address please?'
The farmer said, 'Well, as a matter of fact, my farm is very close to that house. I would walk you there, but I can't carry this lot.'
The lady suggested, 'Why don't you put the can of paint in the bucket, carry the bucket in one hand, put a chicken under each arm, and carry the goose in your other hand?'
'Thank you very much,' he said and proceeded to walk the lady home.
On the way, he said, 'Let's take my short cut and go down this alley. We'll be there in no time.'
The lady looked him over cautiously and said, 'I am a lonely widow without a husband to protect me. How do I know that when we get in the alley you won't hold me up against the wall, pull up my skirt, and have your way with me?'
The farmer said, 'Holy smokes, lady! I'm carrying a bucket, a gallon of paint, two chickens, and a goose. How in the world could I possibly hold you up against the wall and do that?'
The lady replied, 'Set the goose down, cover him with the bucket, put the paint on top of the bucket, and I'll hold the chickens.'
