Border Teaching Herd husbandry

The Border Teaching Herd runs on a simple, steady rhythm. Fawning is usually November into December, with careful checks on new mothers and a hands-off policy unless help is needed. The annual rut is quieter here than in the main fallow herd, because a single Karoo Edge buck joins the does for the season and goes home once it ends. Education days are busiest in late summer and into autumn, with college groups attending when the herd is most settled. Winter means extra hay and a watch on body condition, especially during El Niño years when natural grazing can be short. Teaching slows in deep winter, and the hide always has something to show.

• Fawning: November to December
• Education visits: late summer and autumn
• Winter feed and health checks

The teaching herd is fed at 07:00 and checked again at 16:00 every day. Our herd husbandry manager leads the checks at dawn, walking the fence and counting every animal. Calm handling is shown to every new group: students see how a simple slow move keeps the deer settled. Veterinary checks are done in early spring and again at the start of autumn, with our veterinary liaison officer calling in the game vet for any injuries, parasite control or foot checks as needed. When biosecurity rules change or foot-and-mouth disease measures affect movement, we explain the process to students, so they learn the why as well as the how. A missed check or a loose gate can mean a long afternoon of searching the camp.

• Dawn fence and animal checks
• Hands-on calm handling lessons
• Spring and autumn veterinary visits