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Title / Plan and coordinate pasture management and the feeding of deer
Level / 4 / Credits / 7
Purpose / People credited with this unit standard are able to: assess deer pasture quality, and implement pest and weed control and pasture management programmes; implement grazing management systems, and provide supplementary feeding according to production and seasonal requirements for deer; manage rotational and integrated grazing of deer with other animals; and perform calculations.
Classification / Agriculture > Deer Farming
Available grade / Achieved
Entry information
Critical health and safety prerequisites / Open.
Explanatory notes
1Definition
On-farm procedures – the verbal or written instructions to staff on the procedures for deer health, care, and handling.
2The DeerQA On-Farm Programme Operating Standards can be obtained from Deer Industry New Zealand, PO Box 10-702, Wellington, or
3Performance of all aspects of this unit standard should comply with the Animal Welfare (Deer) Code of Welfare 2007, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2007, available at
4Reference
Code of Practice for Nutrient Management, New Zealand Fertiliser Manufacturer’s Research Association Incorporated (NZFMRA), 2007, available at
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Assess deer pasture quality, and implement pest and weed control and pasture management programmes.
Evidence requirements
1.1Grass species, forage herbs, and legumes are described in terms of their suitability for grazing by deer.
Rangeforage herbs – plantain, chickory;
grasses may include but are not limited to – perennial ryegrass, short rotation rye grass, annual rye grass, timothy, fescue;
legumes may include – white clovers, red clovers, lucerne;
evidence is required for a minimum of two grasses and two legumes.
1.2Pasture species and quality are assessed in terms of suitability for regional circumstances, on-farm procedures, and preferred grazing systems.
1.3The programme implemented to control pests and weeds that present potential health and production risks is in accordance with the DeerQA On-Farm Programme Operating Standards, and the Animal Welfare (Deer) Code of Welfare 2007.
1.4Pasture management systems maintain optimum grazing potential for deer on a seasonal basis.
Rangemanagement systems include but are not limited to – regrass, cultivate, fertilise, oversow.
Outcome 2
Implement grazing management systems, and provide supplementary feeding according to production and seasonal requirements for deer.
Evidence requirements
2.1Grazing management systems allow pasture feed to meet individual deer requirements by bodyweight and according to seasons.
Rangeclass of stock – breeding hinds, pregnant hinds, hinds and fawns, stags, young stock, weaner hinds, weaner stags;
deer production requirements – weight gain, velvet production, venison production;
grazing management systems – set stocking, rotational grazing, strip grazing.
2.2Availability of roughage and concentrates is managed in terms of times where there is insufficient pasture to meet deer bodyweight and production requirements.
Outcome 3
Manage rotational and integrated grazing of deer with other animals.
Evidence requirements
3.1Rotational or integrated grazing with other animals complements feeding patterns of deer without affecting productivity of pasture.
3.2Deer management on pastures is managed in terms of grazing patterns and habits, grazing systems, and stocking rates.
Outcome 4
Perform calculations.
Evidence requirements
4.1Feeds are converted into pasture equivalent Dry Matter (DM) terms.
Rangeevidence is required for at least four different feeds.
4.2Total mixed ration is calculated for a specified time period.
Rangeat least three different feeds.
4.3Surplus or deficit of feed is calculated from given supply and demand figures.
Rangeat least two different feeds in the ration.
Replacement information / This unit standard, unit standard 19101, unit standard 19153, unit standard 19079, and unit standard 24627 have been replaced by unit standard 28859This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process / Version / Date / Last Date for AssessmentRegistration / 1 / 20 December 1996 / 31 December 2020
Revision / 2 / 9 November 1998 / 31 December 2020
Review / 3 / 25 June 2002 / 31 December 2020
Review / 4 / 22 August 2008 / 31 December 2020
Review / 5 / 18 June 2015 / 31 December 2020
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference / 0052
This CMR can be accessed at
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA, before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Agriculture Industry Training OrganisationSSB Code101558 / New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2018 / / New Zealand Qualifications Aut