Velvet antler - the soft growing stage of deer antlers - is harvested from farmed deer for traditional medicine markets, but the procedure raises significant welfare concerns.
Velvet antler harvesting is a procedure that causes real pain and distress to farmed deer. The peripheral nervous supply to growing antler is substantial, and cutting through vascularised tissue without adequate pain management causes acute suffering. The requirement in New Zealand for anaesthesia is a welfare improvement, but practice in major producing countries remains variable. The ethical foundation of the practice is further weakened by the limited evidence base for the health claims made for velvet antler products. Consumer rejection of velvet antler supplements on welfare grounds would reduce demand for this product.