Products
What makes Canadian deer and elk products special?

To understand this you need to appreciate the Canadian environment, both from a climatic point of view and a food safety and quality perspective.

Specialization in elk and deer (cervid) production has been an evolving characteristic of the Canadian agricultural industry since the 1970's, with an initial focus on breeding stock and antler production evolving into a more broad meat / antler / trophy stock production system with an ancillary but relatively smaller genetic component. The industry has concentrated in the regions with natural feed and land base advantages for cervid production.

Income from cervid production is a significant part of farm cash receipts in Canada, totalling $49 million in 2007.

Environment

Canada is a country of climatic extremes, varying from hot summers with temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius and very high humidities to cold winters with lows below minus 40. Only the strong and well-adapted survive and thrive. A harsh reality, but the consequences include native species that are very well suited to living here with minimal disease and parasite problems. The cervid species we farm are included in this hardy group, naturally healthy and productive.

The Government of Canada (PFRA) completed a major benchmark study in 1996, comparing the environmental conditions in Canada, the United States of America, and the European Union. This study compared agriculture sustainability (measured by energy use and soil degradation), conservation of natural areas, water quality, soil quality (measured by manure use and chemical use).

This study indicates that: Canada has a less energy-intensive agricultural production system than the USA or Europe; Canada and the USA provide a high level of protection to a greater proportion of the natural landscape than Europe; Canada and the USA rely more on sustainable natural grass pasture and less on grain-based feeding systems than Europe; Canada produces less manure per unit of agricultural land area than the USA or Europe; Canada and the United States under-apply fertilizer, which may lead to long-term soil degradation, but avoids potential water pollution; Canada applies pesticides at about 50% of the rate of the USA, the next lowest user, and 20% of the rate of France, the biggest user; a smaller percentage of the total number of mammals and birds present in Canada are considered "threatened" than in the USA or Europe, and Canada has higher water quality in its main rivers than the USA or Europe.

In summary, these comparisons demonstrate that Canadian cervid and other production systems for meat and other ag products create relatively less environmental risk than those of the USA and the European Union.

Production

Canada's cervid farming operations began with and have maintained a close synchronicity with our strongly differentiated seasons and the natural cycles that have evolved in tune with those seasons.

Calves are born in May and June. This means that the young calves, all of which are raised outdoors, are not subjected to cold winter weather. The calves graze with their mothers on pastures and grasslands throughout the spring and summer seasons, when grass and forb growth is at its peak. In September, many producers wean and supplement feed the calves while the adults engage in rutting (breeding) activities. Young deer and elk flourish on enhanced autumn pastures, especially on lush annuals like ryegrass, grain rye or winter wheat.

Breeding stock for all farmed cervid species originated in the wild, with additional genetics from those wild sources being added until the late 1990's. By then, producers had a more than adequate genetic base, and industry leaders had become more proficient at recognizing the unique set of desirable characteristics that make today's elk and deer livestock much more productive and easily managed than most of the originals.

Feeding

Cervids such as elk, red deer and white-tailed deer are uniquely suited to thrive in a forage- based farming system. Their metabolism slows in the winter when foodstuffs are naturally less available, then doubles or triples as the most active period of plant growth arrives each spring. Breeding takes place right after the peak of growth and new tissue deposition, when fertility is naturally highest, and calving occurs right at the beginning of the late spring / summer season. Some of these mothers will raise a weight of calves equal to their own bodyweight in less than 150 days, and rebreed easily!

Feeding for both meat and antler production is most efficient when VFI - Voluntary Feed Intake - is maximized. High VFI requires a stable and stress- free environment, maintenance of stable social groups, attention to small details such as water quality and palatability, provision of shelter from extreme weather conditions and outside interference and a steady balanced ration. Cervids are concentrate selectors - they prefer good quality, tasty and fine-grained feeds, and will best return the producer's investment when all of these factors are optimized for high VFI.

The term "finished" is not used for cervids - excessive fat is not desirable and is expensive to produce. Cervids seem to reach a peak of optimal yield, tenderness and flavour twice in their lives - first at 6 to 12 months of age, then again at 38 to 40 months. However, females generally produce excellent quality meat at any age if they have just completed a period of rapid weight gain. Males exhibit similar characteristics with more limitations - they generally must be less than eight years of age and harvested outside of the rut period (mid- August to January each year).

Males aged 5 years and over are much more valuable as trophy stock than as meat animals. Trophy bulls and bucks are harvested on large ranches which approximate natural hunting conditions in a controlled environment. The best operators provide high- quality tourism experiences which clients are happy to repeat many times in their lives.

Antler Markets

In addition to trophy stock, large- antlered male cervids provide velvet antler each year of their lives. Elk velvet antler, or EVA, is processed by drying and consumed as slices or a ground powder. With thousands of years of historical use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), EVA has proven to be effective as a health supplement or functional food, particularly in relieving the effects of osteoarthritis and to speed healing and increase energy and stamina. Published scientific research has demonstrated these effects in pets as well.

Productivity Increases

In addition to increased livestock numbers, the production of antler and meat per cervid animal has increased significantly over the years. This is primarily the result of genetic selection combined with improved management practices. The result is a healthy competiveness amongst seedstock producers and increased supply of product available for markets.

On Farm Food Safety and Quality, and Traceability

Canadian Governments and producers are teaming up to develop and implement HACCP- based (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) systems to monitor and verify the safe, successful and animal- friendly practices used to grow and deliver cervid products to consumers. This Canadian Approach to Food Safety is well- respected all over the world, with the On Farm components just a part of the industry- wide standards that ensure a safe and wholesome food supply.

Processing

The advancing maturity of the cervid industry has resulted in significant restructuring as producers focus on efficiencies. A successful meat processing industry has developed, most successfully in Quebec, where young red deer are harvested annually for the strong local markets. In western Canada, meat processing is still concentrated on removing adult elk from farms that rapidly increased populations during the expansion phase of the industry. This situation is expected to change as herds reach more profitable levels of productivity and populations, and markets become more sophisticated in their product selections.

Federally- inspected Canadian plants will process more than 15,000 elk and red deer in 2009. Over the next few years, exports to the United States, Europe, Asia and Mexico are expected to grow as production increases.

In addition to expanding markets and promoting product lines, companies are also investing in technology. Coolers are being modified to allow for more slow and effective carcass chilling prior to fabrication. In addition to better controlling temperatures throughout the meat processing and transportation system, companies are also re-evaluating their operating systems in order to reduce bacteria numbers.

By incorporating comprehensive monitoring and testing regimes under the banner of HACCP, Canadian antler, venison and elk meat processors are producing a safer and more consistent range of food products.