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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



HERD OF DOMESTlCATElD VIRGINIA DEER BELONGING TO R. H. HARRIS, CEARKESVIEEE, 



TEXAS 



free access, is sufficient to keep them in good 

 condition. Deer eat with relish nearly all of 

 the common coarse weeds, and for clearing 

 land of brush they are, I think, second only to 

 the common goat. 



Probably the greatest expense connected with 

 the business of raising deer is the fencing. 

 Another item of trouble and expense, when the 

 animals are raised for pets, requiring that they 

 ■be handled and shipped alive, is the fact that 

 the iawns must be taken from the does when 

 10 days old and raised by hand on cow's milk. 

 They are quite easily raised in this way, with 

 but slight percentage of loss, but require fre- 

 quent and careful attention for the first month. 

 When they are allowed to run with the does 

 their natural wildness cannot be overcome, no 

 matter how gentle the does may be. 

 _ I have found the business profitable on the 

 lines indicated. I believe they could be profit- 

 ably bred for venison alone — certainly with less 

 trouble and expense, since the fawns would be 

 reared by the does and the trouble and expense 

 of raising by hand would be eliminated. 



My experience does not coincide with that of 

 some other breeders in respect to the weaken- 

 ing of reproductive powers of deer by the con- 

 finement in parks. I have no barren does. 

 Usually they produce a single fawn at two 



years of age ; afterwards twins, and in rare 

 cases triplets. 



While deer are chiefly browsing ani- 

 mals, in captivity they eat nearly every 

 kind of vegetation, including most kinds 

 of garden stuff. They are fond of 

 acorns, beechnuts, chestnuts, and other 

 mast. Lily pads, leaves, lichens, and 

 mosses are freely eaten. With plenty of 

 range and an abundant variety of plants 

 there need be, therefore, no apprehen- 

 sion concerning the deer's food. A good 

 supply of running water must be pro- 

 vided, and the animals should have ac- 

 cess to rock salt. If the browse and 

 pasturage are scant, a small ration of 

 grain should be fed. Of the grains, corn 

 is generally recommended as a food ; 

 there is no waste, as the deer pick up 

 every grain. Coarse hay full of weeds 

 is preferable to timothy or other tame 

 hays, except alfalfa. Of clover hay. 

 deer usually eat the blossom heads 



