Farm Table Venison
Careful camp management and hands-on seasonal routines shape the quality of our Farm Table Venison.
The Farm Table Venison programme follows the rhythm of the herds. The rut in late autumn sets the next season's calves and fawns, and we keep a close eye for healthy matings. Calving and fawning run from November into December, so pasture must be ready and dams must have shelter. By late summer, we mark which young animals will go for venison in the July to September harvest window.
Through winter, the veld browns off, so we bring in drought buffers and supplement with hay and locally milled pellets when needed. Velvet antler season for red deer is short, and we monitor stags for comfort and welfare, but our venison selection focusses on younger stock and surplus males.
Each venison lot comes from one named veld camp. Camps are sized for the number of animals, with veld cover rotated so the grass is not grazed too short, even in a dry El Niño season. Our pasture and forage manager checks the pasture weekly, making decisions on moving groups so the veld can rest and recover.
Reliable water points are essential: we use troughs with float valves in each camp, fed from storage tanks with solar backup for pumps. Natural koppies and tree belts offer shade and windbreaks, which keeps animals calm and helps them put on weight steadily without stress.
All venison animals are handled using quiet kraal systems and bakkie runs, with the same low-stress techniques we use for stud deer. Our herd husbandry manager leads the team, keeping noise and disturbance to a minimum. Before selection, our veterinary liaison officer checks each lot for health and signs off with veterinary oversight.
No animal enters the Farm Table Venison chain without clearance from the state veterinarian, and movement permits are prepared ahead of time. For the abattoir run, the deer travel live in a dedicated stock trailer, kept clean, shaded and well ventilated. Only trained and licensed staff handle the animals at every stage.
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