Deer antler velvet is harvested by cutting the antler from a live stag while it’s still in its soft, blood-rich growth phase, typically 60 to 70 days after the previous set of antlers has been shed. The process is tightly regulated in major producing countries like New Zealand, requiring pain relief, trained personnel, and specific timing to minimize harm to the animal.
Why Antlers Are Harvested While Still Growing
Deer antlers are one of the fastest-growing tissues in the animal kingdom. During their growth phase, they’re covered in a fuzzy skin called velvet, which supplies blood and nutrients to the developing bone underneath. This soft, nutrient-dense tissue is what’s commercially valuable. Once antlers fully harden and the velvet dries up and peels away naturally, the composition changes entirely. The window for harvest is specifically when the antler is still cartilaginous, well-supplied with blood, and covered in intact velvet.
The growth cycle begins when a stag casts (sheds) its previous hard antlers, usually in late spring. New antlers immediately begin growing from permanent bony stumps on the skull called pedicles. Growth is rapid, and the antler reaches the ideal harvest stage at around 60 to 70 days, when the tips are rounded and full, a stage farmers call “maximum bulbing.” After the first cut, a second growth often occurs and can be harvested another 50 to 70 days later, though this regrowth is smaller.
How the Antler Is Removed
The stag is guided into a specialized handling system, essentially a padded crush or cradle that holds the animal still and limits movement. In New Zealand, the industry standard involves a lidocaine ring block, a local anesthetic injected in a circle around the base of each antler. This numbs the area for roughly 90 minutes. A longer-acting anesthetic called bupivacaine is sometimes used instead, providing pain relief for 4 to 7 hours depending on the formulation. These are currently the only approved pain management techniques for the procedure.
Once the anesthetic takes effect, the antler is cut with a surgical saw a few centimeters above the pedicle. The cut surface bleeds, since the growing antler has a rich blood supply, and a dressing or tourniquet is applied to control bleeding. The entire removal process for both antlers takes only a few minutes. The stag is then released back into the paddock, and the pedicle heals over within days.
Who Is Allowed to Do It
Not just anyone can harvest velvet. In New Zealand, the world’s largest exporter, the procedure must be performed by a registered veterinarian or a farmer who has been individually certified by the National Velvetting Standards Body (NVSB). Certified farmers operate under veterinary supervision and must follow the Velveting Code of Practice, which covers everything from the type of restraint used to the pain relief protocol. Chemical restraint (sedation) can only be administered by veterinarians or NVSB-certified individuals. Advocacy groups have acknowledged that this certification program provides meaningful welfare protections for the animals.
How Much Velvet One Stag Produces
A single red deer stag produces a surprisingly small amount of velvet. At two years old, a stag yields roughly 1 to 1.4 kilograms per season. Production increases with age: three-year-olds average around 1.6 to 2 kg, four-year-olds around 1.9 to 2.6 kg, and five-year-olds between 2.3 and 3 kg. Genetically superior animals in the top tier can reach 3.5 kg or more by age five. Because yields are modest, velvet commands a high price per kilogram, and selective breeding for antler production is a significant focus on commercial deer farms.
Processing After Harvest
Freshly cut velvet, called “green velvet,” is perishable and must be processed quickly to prevent spoilage. The goal is to reduce the moisture content enough that the product becomes shelf-stable without destroying the compounds inside.
The two main drying methods are air drying and vacuum drying. In both cases, controlling temperature and humidity is critical while the velvet is still wet enough to support microbial growth. Drying too fast at high heat can damage the tissue, while drying too slowly encourages bacteria and mold. The process typically takes several days, with the velvet cycled through periods of heating and resting.
Once dried as whole sticks, the velvet may be sliced into cross-section discs. Slicing exposes the interior to air, so the sliced product goes through a second round of drying, either actively in a dryer or passively in a controlled processing room. The final product is sold as dried sticks, slices, or ground into powder. Consumers in East Asian markets traditionally prepare slices in tonics or broths, while Western markets more commonly sell it as capsules or extracts.
Differences Across Countries
New Zealand sets the benchmark for regulated velvet harvesting, but deer farming for velvet also takes place in China, Korea, Russia, Canada, and the United States. Regulations vary considerably. New Zealand and some Canadian provinces require anesthesia and certification. In other regions, oversight is less formal, and welfare standards depend more on individual farm practices than enforceable codes. If you’re evaluating a velvet product, its country of origin is one of the more reliable indicators of how the harvest was conducted.