Velvet antler removal from farmed deer is practised commercially in Asia and New Zealand with significant welfare implications for the animals subjected to the procedure.
Velvet antler removal is a welfare procedure that has received insufficient attention given its widespread commercial practice. The developing antler is a highly vascularised structure with significant nerve supply — it is not inert tissue. The welfare significance of removing it under inadequate anaesthesia is potentially substantial. New Zealand has taken a welfare-positive step by mandating anaesthesia, but this creates a regulatory disparity with other major producing countries where removal without pain management occurs. Consumer purchasing power can address this disparity: products from welfare-certified sources with verified anaesthesia requirements provide market incentives for higher standards globally. Traditional medicine markets that have not historically considered animal welfare in ingredient sourcing may be resistant to change, but regulatory and consumer pressure has shifted practices in comparable contexts.