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Abstract
A questionnaire on shade and shelter was distributed among deer farmers throughout New Zealand, and 89 were completed. Respondents were possibly mainly people with a particular interest in the topic. Most respondents felt that shelter improved deer health and growth (92 and 68% of respondents, respectively), and 79% thought that shade was beneficial to deer health. Ninety‐five percent felt that vegetative cover for hiding improved neonatal calf survival, and 80% thought that pacing along fencelines was reduced by shelter. Questions on other aspects of productivity drew mixed responses. Storms were rated as the most likely condition to induce sheltering, followed by wind, sun, cold then rain, for most age classes of deer. An exception to this was adult deer in summer, for which sun rated next highest after storms. Farmers provided opinions on siting for shade and shelter, techniques for protecting trees, and suitable species to plant. Improvements in deer welfare and productivity are likely to result from disseminating this and related information to the deer‐farming community.