The Venison Advisory Service Ltd (VAS) is a consultancy established specifically to provide support and advice to those considering setting up a commercial deer farm as a business venture or an additional revenue stream.
VAS also offers advice to the wild venison sector in assessing opportunities for local processing and supply, infrastructure development and marketing.
Scotland is a major supplier to the UK and European markets, with an estimated out-turn of some 3,500 tonnes per annum, the majority of this coming from the wild red deer cull.
Market data (June 2019) from the Scottish Venison Association is available here.
The first Scottish venison strategy Beyond the Glen (2018) has been updated and a refreshed strategy Revisiting Beyond the Glen was launched in November 2023.
The drive towards healthier eating, greater awareness of venison as a healthy food, and increasing interest from Scottish Government and its agencies for development in this area all present an encouraging backdrop. Scottish venison also already enjoys an enviable reputation and an excellent image not just in the UK but further afield.
The NatureScot target to increase Scotland’s annual cull of wild deer by 50,000 over five years and maintain it at this higher level for a further period has prompted VAS to expand its scope of advice to assist and support initiatives looking to increase output of wild product, the development of local processing, chills and butchery, and the assessment of local opportunities for marketing.
For deer farming Scotland has a mix of suitable terrain, ideal climate, access to quality stock and access to markets. Indeed, Scotland pioneered the concept of deer farming in the 1970s, although it has never developed here on the same commercial scale as it has in, for example, New Zealand.
The Venison Advisory Service provides quality, experienced project-led advice and consultancy to those looking at deer farming as a commercial, revenue-generating opportunity, not just in Scotland but across the UK or internationally.
Find out more about the services the Venison Advisory Service has to offer to those wishing to get started in deer farming or set up a venison business using a wild supply.
The VAS starter guide to deer farming and deer park management, produced as a part of the Scottish Government funded Deer Farm and Park Demonstration Project (which ran in 2015/2016) is available here .
Recent news:
The next FAS Connect Deer Farm meeting is being held at Cassafuir Farm, Blairhoyle FK8 3LF Stirlingshire on Friday 9 June, 10.30 start. This meeting is open to all (booking is essential for catering purposes – lunch provided). The Venison Advisory Service (VAS) will share the latest information on the UK venison market and host farmer Jamie Hammond will give an insight to the wild deer sector from a NatureScot perspective. There will be a farm walk at Cassafuir and Jamie will explain his deer system plus the chance to discuss any deer farm management related issues.
Book here: https://www.fas.scot/events/event/deer-farming-group-cassafuir-visit/
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The next FAS Connect Deer Farming Meeting will be held at Achadunan Farm, Cairndow, Argyll on Wednesday 30th November, 10:30am start, which is open to all to attend. There will be speakers from the Venison Advisory Service and SAC Consulting. We will go a farm walk at Achadunan Farm with hosts Tuggy & Stu whilst they talk about the story of their deer enterprise and how they utilise the draff from their brewery. Stu’s deer farming experience in New Zealand and the management practices he has brought to Achadunan will also be discussed. Alan Sneddon will give the group an update on how things are progressing at Innerhadden Estate with weaning and transition to forage crops.
To book places go to: https://www.fas.scot/events/event/deer-farming-meeting-achadunan-farm/
The Venison Advisory Service with the Farm Advisory Service is hosting a meeting at Innerhadden Estate on 12 September 2022 from 10.30am to 3.00pm.
The focus of the day will be to outline the farming system at Innerhadden including rotational grazing, setting up the rut, best practice weaning strategy and how to successfully transition weaned calves onto a forage crop for outwintering. We hope to generate discussion around reducing production costs and maximising herd potential.
Lunch will be provided. Booking is essential for catering purposes
For more information see the event flier.
To reserve a place go to https://www.fas.scot/events/event/deer-farming-meeting-innerhadden-estate/
A farmed deer health, welfare and handling training course is being held at Cassafuir Farm, Port of Menteith, Stirlingshire FK8 3LF on Saturday 29 February 2020.
Organised by the British Deer Farms and Parks Association (BDFPA), topics for the full-day course will include: a classroom overview of deer disease, welfare and best practice, and parasite control. On farm sessions will include practical handling of hinds, mid-winter condition scoring, and administering trace element boluses.
The Veterinary Deer Society is holding a conference on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 November 2019 at the Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik EH26 0PZ just to the south of Edinburgh.
The meeting will concentrate on the growing demand for veterinary expertise in the rapidly developing area of UK red deer farming and also, as Christmas approaches, on reindeer welfare. The conference is open to any interested who wish to attend.
Good news, as the Scottish Government has confirmed on Scottish Venison Day, 4 September, that it will fund baseline research to help Scotland’s venison producers and processors better understand the UK market, its challenges and opportunities.
One year on from the launch of ‘Beyond the Glen’, a strategy for Scottish Venison through to 2030 the Scottish Venison Partnership has reformed and relaunched as the Scottish Venison Association headed by an Industry Leadership Group; wild deer health has been thoroughly examined in a project funded by Scottish Government and Food Standards Scotland delivered by the Moredun Research Institute and Edinburgh University, with a final report to come in the next few months; deer health and handling skills training courses delivered by the Venison Advisory Service have been fully subscribed; and the British Deer Farms and Parks Association (BDFPA) Conference comes to Scotland in early November as interest in deer farming continues.
A new training course on the health, hygiene and handling of farmed deer organised by the Venison Advisory Service and the British Deer Farms and Parks Association will run at Cassafuir Farm, Stirlingshire FK 8 3LF on Saturday 24 August 2019.
Topics to be covered over the day include: an overview of deer diseases and care; practical handling of hinds with calves at foot; tagging/sexing; drenching calves; weaning and setting up rutting groups.
A full day course on farmed deer health and handling is taking place on Saturday 2 March at Cassafuir Fam, Blair Hoyle, Port of Menteith, Stirlingshire FK8 3LF courtesy of Jamie and Natalie Hammond.
The Venison Advisory Service warmly welcomes the new strategy for Scottish venison, Beyond the Glen, which was launched by the Minister for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon MSP, at Downfield Farm, Fife on Scottish Venison Day 4 September.
Dick Playfair, Director, VAS, says:
Following the success of the Introduction to Deer Farming day at Innerhadden Deer Farm in July, the Venison Advisory Service (VAS) and leading Rural Chartered Surveyors Bell Ingram, have teamed up again to stage a second event on Scottish Venison Day, 4 September, this time at Culligran Estate, near Beauly.
The demonstration day will provide the opportunity to hear at first hand from professionals and experts in deer farming, on subjects including herd management and stocking, deer health, fencing and equipment requirements, finance and land management.