Deer Milk – On the cusp of a new industry

A herd of hinds on the Lincoln Hills deer milking farm on South Island

For the past five years, the team at Deer Milk New Zealand (DMNZ) has been scoping the opportunity of local and international markets to identify the type of premium deer milk products that will be financially viable while offering unique benefits to users.

Finally, the hard work will culminate in about six months when DMNZ launches the first stage of their commercialisation strategy . Rebecca Davidson, commercial manager of New Zealand’s and the world’s first privately-owned deer milk farm, says DMNZ “has been working through the discovery phase in terms of what our product will be and what will work for us . We want to leverage on the health benefits of deer milk but we don’t have scale yet . “Deer milk is very high in protein (two to three times higher than cows’ milk) and high in fat . Our research has revealed some exciting results suggesting it is a good source of various naturally occurring elements in those protein and fat profiles . It is also low in lactose which makes it easily digestible for humans . That could be particularly exciting for products such as infant formula, but that product is way down the track . “As a natural source of good protein and fats, the benefits are also applicable to the elderly as well as animals such as dogs and puppies . Deer milk is also high in lactoferrin, which helps regulate how well iron is absorbed into the body from the intestine . It therefore benefits the immune system . Deer milk is very high in milk solids at about 25% – a profile that means it has been a bit of a challenging process when it comes to production, storage and processing of deer milk and how that translates to a commercial product . ” DMNZ have explored product development opportunities across a range of products . They have developed food products, including ice cream, yoghurt, and cheese . The range also extends to fresh milk, powdered milk, beauty products, nutraceuticals and supplements . “We needed to identify what would be the most efficient commercial decision and that process has been ongoing . But for the first stage of our commercialisation, our products will be related to nutrition and health and we’ll be looking at the global market,” says Rebecca .

Graham Carr, right, and Mark Faulks, the founders of Deer Milk New Zealand

The start

The genesis of the venture into deer milk farming at Lincoln Hills Farm on South Island, takes some beating . “Graham Carr and Mark Faulks, the founders of this venture, were approached in 2016 by an entrepreneur who asked if they had deer milk he could buy for a product he was developing,” says Rebecca . “Both men have an extensive history in deer farming and bovine dairy farming . They found the thought of milking deer a little absurd and dismissed the idea . ” But the innovative concept aroused Mark’s curiosity, in particular, and he reconsidered the opportunity . Out of that chance approach, the deer milk venture was born . In 2016 the first milk was extracted from a hind at the Lincoln Hills farm in the foothills of Mount Somers .

“That farm is a breeding farm populated mostly by female deer and fawns . We bring the stags in at the appropriate time and return them to another farm nearby,” says Rebecca . “We’ve got a huge genetic deer operation and have been developing our own deer milking genetics, which will be integral to other farmers wishing to start milking deer in the future . “We converted an existing deer shed on the farm, carefully considering the flighty nature of deer . Mark introduced a herringbone style layout with padded stalls to protect the deer . A rubber protection wall between the hind and the milker has a built-in circular aperture through which the milker can work . Lincoln Hills’ deer milking farm operation is run by a small team headed by the founders, Mark Faulks and Graham Carr . Head deer milker Simon Wakefield is a dedicated, hard-working member of the team whose ideas have brought added value to the enterprise . The uniqueness of deer milk farming has attracted people keen to be part of an innovative enterprise making its mark in New Zealand’s evolving dairy sector . “From an on-farm perspective, we believe we have refined the processes to the point where we have a world-class milking operation . We’ve done the hard yards and the opportunity for growing deer milking into an industry is quite exciting,” Rebecca concludes .

For more information, visit deermilkingnz.com

Head deer milker Simon Wakefield has brought added value to the unique enterprise

“We milk 600 ewes in just 1 hour with this shed”.

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