The model of raising sika deer for velvet antlers has begun to develop on a small scale in many localities. Sika deer are easy to raise, eat voraciously, have good disease resistance, and can harvest velvet antlers worth 18 - 19 million VND/kg. However, to raise deer on a large scale, to help deer stay healthy and have the best quality velvet antlers 1. Making a cage to raise sika deer for velvet antlers Type of cage to raise sika deer Cage: 5m long, 3m wide, using wooden bars to close the cage, the wooden bars are 10 - 15cm apart to allow feces to pass through. But this model is only suitable for small-scale breeding of a few deer. Yard cage: applied to models of raising sika deer for velvet antlers from over 15 deer. On average, raising 10 - 15 deer requires an area of ​​100 - 200m2. Location of the cage: Should choose a high, dry location, limited noise, not polluted. The location of the cage should be cool in the summer, warm in the winter. Separate confinement area, should not be raised with other livestock and poultry to avoid spreading and developing pathogens. Direction of deer cages The best direction of the cage is Southeast or South for favorable weather, suitable light intensity, no big difference between day and night. Materials for making deer cages The main materials for making cages are wood, palm leaf roofs, coconut leaves, corrugated iron sheets, steel mesh cement irradiation. Wooden posts need to be smooth and sturdy to avoid scratching the deer. Steel mesh surrounding the cage area, should use B40 mesh. Making the floor of the deer cage The floor of the cage should be solid, with a slope of 3 - 5% to ensure good drainage. It can be made of compacted soil, cement or red brick. However, making a red brick floor is best, easy to do, convenient for cleaning. In addition, if wood is available, people can make a floor with wooden panels that fit tightly together. In the cage, divide into cells, each cell is 4m2, if raising deer, it will need 2 - 4m2. 2. Equipment for raising sika deer In the method of raising deer for velvet, feeding troughs and drinking troughs are two important farming tools that help deer eat a lot and lose less. You should make use of rubber troughs to avoid breaking. Arrange feeding troughs and drinking troughs reasonably, at the same level as the deer eat. 3. How to choose sika deer breeds Because the price of deer breeds is quite expensive, people need to buy sika deer breeds at reputable breeding addresses, with certificates. Choose the breed according to their history, requiring healthy parents, no disease, the number of antlers of the parent pair is large, reaching 800gr or more. 4. Food and water for raising sika deer for velvet Food sources for deer Raising sika deer for velvet is quite simple because the food source is abundant, they are voracious, and very picky. Therefore, people can take advantage of locally available food, suitable for the climatic conditions of each region. Choose healthy, disease-free, agile animals, with ears always erect, slim belly, straight back, 4 even legs, standing and walking without deformities. Types of food for sika deer: Fresh green food: Green food sources contain 60 - 80% water, 2 - 5% protein and a certain amount of minerals including grass, flower buds, bean sprouts, sedge, garden plants, tubers, agricultural by-products... Root and tuber foods contain a lot of sugar and potassium such as carrots, radishes, sweet potatoes... In particular, carrots contain a lot of carotene, which supplements vitamins in winter and spring, so deer love to eat them. Dried food: Dried food includes agricultural by-products, grasses, straw, dried or fermented to make reserve food for deer during food shortages. Grain food: Includes cereal grains such as corn, rice, wheat, sorghum, legumes... This food source needs to be adjusted according to each stage of deer care. Food from dried oil products Including soybean dried oil, peanut dried oil, rice bran dried oil... contains a lot of protein to help deer grow quickly. Minerals: In addition, when raising deer for their needs,