Antler velvet harvesting from farmed deer involves removal of living tissue containing nerves and blood vessels, raising significant welfare concerns.
Antler velvet welfare is contested terrain. Growing velvet antlers contain blood vessels and nerves, suggesting that removal causes pain. The degree of pain experience with appropriate analgesia remains debated. Without analgesia, harvest is almost certainly painful. New Zealand's regulations requiring pain relief represent welfare improvement, but the adequacy of available analgesic protocols is still debated among veterinarians. The commercial value of velvet creates strong financial incentives that historically drove analgesia-free harvest. Consumer pressure through avoiding velvet supplements from non-certified sources supports welfare improvement.