{"id":16020,"date":"2015-10-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-10-19T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/the-good-fight\/"},"modified":"2015-10-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-10-19T11:00:00","slug":"the-good-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersweekly.co.nz\/news\/the-good-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"The good fight"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

During an almost 40-year career in deer medicine and production there have been many stimulating projects. It was difficult for Wilson to pick out one as the best although a deer herd health and production profiling project in the mid-1990s was notable.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was ground-breaking research into analysis of deer production systems, providing the first benchmarking data for industry and identifying a large number of best practice management tools in the areas of health, reproduction and growth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, these key performance indicators have changed very little since, especially around reproduction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is also evidence of very little change in carcaseweights though the date at slaughter might confound that data.\u201d<\/p>\n

For some outcomes, such as mortality and disease data there have been no studies since. In Wilson\u2019s opinion these topics are a high priority for research and development funding<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really don\u2019t know the real impact of disease on deer production \u2013 there are enormous assumptions being made about these questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Deer welfare, particularly around antler removal, has been a career-defining topic. Wilson\u2019s research led to the best practice for antler removal and showed the calicrate bander was not appropriate.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe procedure was noxious but [at the time] there was a strong push to have it accepted by the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee (NAWC).\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson was a key driver in establishing the National Velvet Standards Board and the veterinary representative on the group that developed the NAWC velvet antler removal code. He wrote the current antler removal code that was controversial at the time of development in 1992.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt gives satisfaction that it is regarded as an exemplar of a highly credible industry welfare programme that protects not only the stag but the integrity and image of the velvet industry.\u201d<\/p>\n

More recent research highlights were the investigation into multi-species aspects of Johne\u2019s disease, leptospirosis and internal parasites.<\/p>\n

The very nature of scientific research brings with it frustration. A project
topic could take several years of dogged pursuit and even then lead to a dead-end or grey rather than black-and-white result.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A case in point was the investigation into abortion in yearling hinds, which PhD student Kandarp Patel was in the throes of trying to answer. It appears there are potentially multiple causes, which makes the problem a hard nut to crack.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s significant evidence that Toxoplasma is a contributing factor but it doesn\u2019t explain all the abortions,\u201d Massey deer expert Peter Wilson said.<\/p>\n

An added frustration from this project was getting broader industry and farmer support, he said.<\/p>\n

Then and now<\/span><\/h2>\n

Working in the deer industry from the very early days has given Peter Wilson unparalleled insights and opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had a virtually unique academic, research and professional career, having the opportunity to develop a farm animal specialty from a virtual nil-base,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

His introduction to deer started as a young vet and before long he was hooked into a vibrant, buoyant, innovative and challenging industry.<\/p>\n

Forty years on, the industry was still innovative and challenging \u2013 but also challenged.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou get to the point of asking where the next increment of progress is going to come from, that\u2019s why the industry is challenging and challenged. The critical mass is dropping which means the [research] funding is as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

As it was the industry spend on scientific research was woeful, Wilson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe deer industry along with many others in New Zealand underinvests enormously when you look internationally. Some invest 10% of revenue in R&D \u2013 the deer industry is well under the 1% mark.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another concern for teachers and scientists was the decreasing number of farmers willing to open the farmgate to researchers and tertiary students. Most hated saying no but did so because they didn\u2019t have the time to commit and deliver what was required.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife has become so much harder for farmers. When I started out the average farmer had around 1400 stock units, now it\u2019s more like 4500 stock units \u2013 they simply haven\u2019t got the time and don\u2019t get paid for it although it\u2019s something we\u2019ve had to start doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Service honoured<\/span><\/h2>\n

At the NZ Veterinary Association conference in June, Massey\u2019s professor of deer medicine and production Peter Wilson was presented with a special award recognising his outstanding contribution and service over 40 years to the NZ deer industry. He was also awarded life membership of the NZVA along with Dr Colin Mackintosh of AgResearch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Old deer vets don\u2019t die, they just get out of the rut, Peter Wilson says. Although Wilson, Massey University\u2019s professor of deer medicine and production, is stepping out of the rut from full-time teaching and research he has no plans to sever university or industry ties completely.\u00a0\nUndergraduate teaching and post-graduate student supervision will continue in the short term as will some of his Massey-based research projects. But he\u2019s looking forward to consulting work on and off-shore that will continue to \u201cexcite the imagination\u201d.\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":16021,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t