Poor management happens in every animal species. 'They didn't come over from Europe with it - they got it from cattle. 'Where did deer get tuberculosis?' Fox said. Even more - deer are tested every two years for tuberculosis, compared with every three years for cattle. 'We have exactly the same regulations for deer and elk as for cattle,' she said. Deer are no more subject to disease than cattle or other animals, she said. He poached a deer out of the king's fence so that the poor could eat.'įox said her association has much work ahead to educate state agencies and the public. 'Robin Hood - he didn't steal money from the rich and give it to the poor. 'There is just an enormous amount of folklore and history around deer farming,' Fox said. It was only in the past few years that the association got a regulation allowing the sale of deer meat if it's raised and slaughtered elsewhere. But Maryland has resisted allowing deer farming, Fox said. The deer farmers association is based in Lanham so that it can be near Washington and the U.S. Unlike wild deer, the domesticated species stay close to each other, don't mind being penned and don't run off if they get out of the pen.ĭeer farming is an ancient practice going back at least to King Solomon and to China in 3000 B.C., said von Kerckerinck. The state is trying to eradicate them.īut Miller said deer can be managed and inoculated like any other farm animal. The orange-toothed rodents have since proliferated in the wild and have been destroying Chesapeake Bay marshes. 'Nutria were introduced in Maryland with the premise they would be farmed,' Wilson said. Their concern was over diseases these members of the cervid family can spread to livestock herds, such as cattle, said Emily Wilson, the Farm Bureau's assistant director of government relations. He had hoped to get the Maryland Farm Bureau to include a proposal on deer in its agenda for this legislative session.īut last month, the Farm Bureau rejected the idea of asking the General Assembly to draft a law allowing farming of certain species of deer and elk. 'Someone said, 'Why don't you buy a farm up in Pennsylvania and raise deer there?' ' Miller said. Miller hopes domesticated deer could be the product that ensures his farm's viability into the next generation. The balance will be due when you pick up the meat and determined by the final cut/packaged weight of your order.Farmers can shoot wild deer in their fields, but federal regulations prohibit them from selling the meat because animals have to be slaughtered in inspected facilities to be sold. Feel free to indicate any modifications to the cut sheet and we will do our best to accommodate your wishes. This is because quarter shares need to be matched with an exact corresponding quarter prior to butchering. The quarter beef form is pre-filled excepting the loin section.

For whole and half beef, the deposit is $500. A deposit is required within 5 days of receiving your order. Please download our custom whole/half beef order form or our custom quarter beef order form. A quarter beef will generally fit in the freezer section of a conventional refrigerator when it is completely empty. For a whole beef, you will need 10 cubic feet of freezer space. The general rule of thumb is that you need one cubic foot of freezer space for every 25 - 35lbs. If continually frozen, the beef will maintain its quality for 12 to 18 months. The meat will be vacuum sealed, individually packaged and labeled for long term freezer storage. Some cuts may not be available for a quarter beef order. Please note, a quarter beef is a half of a half, not a front or hindquarter. Quarter Beef (approximately 65lbs): $10.50/lb Half Beef/Side (approximately 130lbs): $10.00/lb Whole Beef (approximately 260lbs): $9.50/lb This is also the amount of meat that you will put in your freezer. Our prices include processing and the price per pound is for the cut/packaged weight. We process once in the Spring - June/July and once in the Fall - November/December. We will walk you through the process of selecting the cuts you want. These orders are fully customized to your specifications. The best value in grass fed beef is to buy a side or quarter direct from the farm.

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