News

This is the place to keep up to date with news of special events, culinary innovations and new arrivals among our herds of deer.

 

Our Deer Are Casting 

17.03.2022

Our first red sire stag cast last week! 

Antlers are essentially like bone. The deer grow and cast their antlers annually. This cycle is driven by changes in testosterone levels. The older animals tend to cast first, usually starting in mid March. Some of the younger stags will cast as late as April and potentially even into May. 

Once cast (where they shed), tiny buttons are left – circles of tissue from which the new antlers start to grow. It is a matter of days before the velvet (growing tissue) starts growing over the pedicle. By late July/ August the antler is fully grown and rising testosterone levels causes the velvet to shrink and blood supply to dry up. The velvet peels off (“in tatters”) and they will rub their antlers on trees and shrubs to clean their antlers. This stage is “hard antler”. They retain their antlers through the rut (Sept-Nov) and the following March reduced testosterone levels cause the pedicle and antler to separate. 

The antlers look most magnificent when fully grown in late velvet in July. 

The entire cycle lasts about 5 months. The fastest recorded growth was 25mm per day – the fastest living growing tissue in any mammal. The antler cycle is unique in the animal kingdom. 

a male red deer in a grass field with blue skies

The Petersfield Asteroids Sponsorship

29.08.2023

Sky Park Farm Proudly Sponsors Petersfield Asteroids U-8 Football Team! 🌟⚽ At Sky Park Farm, the community is at the heart of everything we do. Sky Park is thrilled to announce our sponsorship of the Petersfield Asteroids, our talented local […]

Great Taste Award Winners 2023

07.08.2023

Sky Park Farm Butchery have excelled at the Great Taste Awards 2023, the world’s most coveted food and drink awards and officially make the best unsmoked bacon in the South of England! All four of butcher Hawie and his team’s […]

Deli & Butchery Expansion Tuesday 2nd May 2023

02.05.23

On Tuesday 2nd May for 24 hours, the Grazing Rooms and the Farm Shop will be closed to undergo an exciting expansion project. Due to popular demand will be extending our Butcher and Deli counters. We will be serving tea, coffee, […]