Border Teaching Herd
Each doe and yearling in the Border Teaching Herd is chosen for quiet temperament and clear records, making them a steady teaching group.
The Border Teaching Herd is drawn from our most even-tempered fallow does and yearlings, settled in near the education gate for steady observation. We select from bloodlines with proven easy handling and sound conformation, always avoiding any animals with a flighty streak. It keeps everyone safe and makes for natural, readable deer behaviour that learners can observe up close. Yearlings are chosen in autumn after we see how they settle in their first camp, and only those that respond well to low-stress handling and group routine are kept here. Our team keeps the ratio of yearlings to older does balanced, so social structure stays stable through the year.
Keeping the records straight is our stud records lead’s job, and he runs a tight book for the teaching herd just as for our stud groups. Each animal’s dam, birth camp, and movements are recorded, with tagging linked to our main Karoo Edge records. This helps us show students exactly how to trace a deer’s story, dam, sire, year, even notable traits or health events. New learners can see how to spot line-breeding, or how to avoid accidental inbreeding, with examples from the record book. Pedigree lines are updated every autumn before the new season’s lessons begin.
Any buyer or partner working with the Border Teaching Herd receives a full pedigree summary, dam and yearling details, and our named-lot records for the teaching group. If live sales are made (always under the correct environmental permit), all movement and veterinary inspection paperwork is included, along with a letter describing the animal’s temperament and camp behaviour. For agricultural colleges or teaching projects, we also share the lesson plans and our record-keeping template to help them start their own lines. That saves new farmers a lot of confusion.
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