Welcome to our 2018 Velvet and Trophy Sire Sale
Tuesday 8th January, 2018. Viewing from 12pm, auction at 1pm
To say it has been an interesting year is truly an understatement. We had the wettest winter I’ve seen in 30 years here in Canterbury, followed by a cool, dry spring that turned into a very dry November and early December. But the rains have come and hopefully we have turned a corner. Having said all that, velvet continues to be a strong seller and venison is on a high so deer farming is in a pretty good space right now.
Velvet
The lift we are seeing in young deer velvet weights is very pleasing. The 3yr old English deer do cut their velvet late which makes it hard to get our heads into the local competition (having only cut 3 by then) but it does ensure they are growing in warmer temperature and hopefully better feed.
The average velvet weight for the stags catalogued this year is 7.3kg. A good lift from last year and still maintaining style and length that we strive to breed here at Peel Forest.
Walton is again strongly represented and his style of velvet is something we feel is important to maintain – good distance above and below the tray with heavy round beam. Walton won the sire of 3 at the SCNO velvet competition this year with three 4yr old stags. A pretty good effort considering we had sold the best ones at the sale last year and 14 of the second cut were sold privately.
The stags this year (ex one) are Pure English with the majority being predominantly Warnham blood. Having purchased the Pampas Heights herd recently this will give us a greater number of Pure Warnham deer as well as diversity in bloodlines which will enable us to offer the biggest line of pure bred English deer here in New Zealand.
Stags for sale have all been blood tested for Johnes with the English deer showing the highest resilience.
We strongly believe purebred deer breed true to type and give the greatest hybrid vigour when out crossed with other strains.
Trophy
Its always exciting to see the advancements the 3yr olds make from their 2yr old head in just 12 months. This years line-up are exceptional and I know without doubt we have made a great leap forward in antler mass, score and wow factor with the 3yr olds offered.
We offer different bloodlines, some new young sires represented and some embryo brothers from a proven hind line. You be the judge on the day..
If you would like to view any of the stags or velvet prior to sale day please don’t hesitate to ring us. Our door is always open.
