Yearlings
Fallow and red yearlings grow on forage plans in our growth pens, gaining weight steadily with gut-safe feed changes through the seasons.
Why farmers choose it
Yearling Growth Pens give young deer the safe, steady gains that chefs, butchers and deer farmers need. The system is built around forage, vet support and careful records.
| Stage | Yearling |
|---|---|
| Feed | Forage-led |
| Logs | Weight |
| Vet | On call |
| Visit | Karoo Edge |
Our Yearling Growth Pens are purpose-managed camps for fallow and red deer between weaning and full maturity. These are selected yearlings from our main herds at Karoo Edge. Yearlings here have moved out of the nursery camps but are not yet at breeding or market age. The pens are spacious, with natural shade and good veld, set up to make seasonal forage the mainstay of the diet while keeping a close watch on each animal’s progress.
We use these growth pens to prepare yearlings for stud sales, farm-to-table venison or future breeding. Gains are kept steady and natural, never pushed too fast or allowed to lag. Our main growth pens are at Karoo Edge, with smaller satellite pens maintained when needed in the KZN Midlands near Howick.
Each growth pen is sited for water reliability and natural shelter, with wind breaks and shade trees or purpose-made shelters to blunt the Karoo sun and winter frost. Our herd husbandry manager and our pasture and forage manager manage pen rotations, moving groups onto fresh veld as soon as any patch shows sign of overgrazing. We check water troughs every morning and afternoon, especially in the heat of summer or if berg winds sweep through.
Feeds are changed gradually, always putting gut health first. When new forage or supplementary feed is introduced, our herd husbandry manager works with vet advice to avoid digestive upsets. Weight is checked and logged fortnightly, and any sign of lameness, listlessness or scouring is flagged for our veterinary liaison officer and the local vet to inspect.
Each pen has its own power backup for water pumps and fence energisers, so no interruptions risk animal welfare during power cuts. Record keeping is strict and updated after each weigh-in or pen move.
This programme suits chefs, butchers, deer farmers and conservation managers who want healthy yearlings with known weight progression and steady gains. For kitchens, it means consistent, mild-flavoured venison from animals that were never stressed or force-fed. For farmers, it provides well-grown, docile animals that adapt easily to new settings, with full logs of feed, weight and health interventions supplied by our stud records lead.
Stud buyers get yearlings raised for good feet and even temperament, with genetic background and vet checks on record. Pen-reared yearlings settle quickly and show less post-move shock. We never move or sell a deer from these pens unless all conditions for permits, welfare and disease rules are met.
Any movement or sale of live yearlings requires the right permits, since fallow and red deer are regulated under the NEMBA invasive species rules. You must have approved fencing, and animals can only be kept on land listed on your permit. Our team guides new buyers through the process and double-checks permit status before delivery. If you are near an FMD outbreak zone, national movement control will apply and we will work with your state vet for clearance.
Growth rates drop in the dry late winter or during hot El Niño summers, so we plan extra forage buffers and shade. Every buyer receives the full vet, feeding and weight history of each yearling. For more information or to arrange a visit, please send a message through our contact form.
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