Breeding of fallow deer (Dama dama L.) in contolled conditions

Jelen lopatar potječe iz Male Azije, jako je skroman u ishrani i nije mu potreban velik životni prostor. Više voli boraviti na pašnjaku i u šikari nego samo u šumi. Ima ih raznih boja te imaju bijele točkice po sebi pa se još nazivaju jelen lanjac, šarenjak ili šarenac. Visine su oko 110 cm, a masa mužjaka 50-100 kg dok ženka oko 50 kg. Parenje je svake godine u jesen, a telad dolazi krajem 6 ili početkom 7 mjeseca. Muškoj teladi počinju rasti rogovi potkraj prve godine života te ih odbacuju potkraj druge godine života. Kada izrastu, rogovi su prekriveni tako zvanim bastom kojeg jeleni uklanjaju tako da stružu rogovima od grane drvenastih biljaka. Iznimno su plahe životinje pa im treba dosta vremena da se prilagode na čovjeka. Hrane se isključivo biljnom hranom (paša, plodovi voćaka, pupovi s grana, kukuruz, sijeno...). Pri uzgoju u kontroliranim uvjetima najviše se mora paziti na odabir jedinke (dob, ponašanje, genetika...). Uzgajališta moraju biti pravilno izgrađena i dobro osmišljena. Pozornost se mora obratiti na ogradu, prostor za sklonište od nepovoljnih uvjeta, na hranilište, pojilište... Farmskog uzgoja u Republici Hrvatskoj gotovo nema pa je tržište nezasićeno te pruža mogućnost većih prodajnih cijena. Meso lopatara je izuzetno kvalitetno i cijenjeno, no još uvijek je isplativije prodati živu jedinku nego divljačinu.Fallow deer origins from Asia Minor and has simple diet, it doesn't need lots of space to live in. It's preferable habitation is meadow and bushes rather than forest. They come in various colours and have white dots all over them and because of that they are often reffered to as „lanjac, šarenjak or šarenac“.Their height is about 110 cm, males weight is about 50-100 kg, and females weight is about 50 kg. Mating is in autumn, and offspring is expected by late june or beginning of july. Male offspring’s antlers begin to grow by the end of their first year, during their second year they discard those antlers. When they grow out antlers are covered with highly vascular skin called velvet (hrv. bast), which deers remove by rubbing them in branches. Fallow deers are extremely timid animals and require lot of time to adapt to humans. Fallow deers are herbivors (their diet is based on grass, fruit, buds from the branches, corn, hay...). At breeding in controlled conditions selection of individual deers is very important (age, behaviour, genetics...). Breeding facilities have to be well built and thought through. Emphasize is on the fence, shelter from the weather, feeding grounds, watering trough... In the Republic of Croatia there is no farm breeding so the market is unsaturated so the selling prices can go high. Fallow deers meat is appreciated and very good quality, however it is more cost effective to sell a live individual than meat