In order to gain an overview of game husbandry in Germany 800 questionnaires were sent to game farmers all over Germany through the Association of Spare-Time Farmers. Of the questionnaires distributed, a total of 266 were completed and returned (response rate: 33.3 %). In addition, visits were paid to 137 of those game reserves in order to verify the game farmers´ statements on site.
The majority of the reserves contained red deer, fallow deer or a mixed population of red and fallow deer (92.8 %). Sika deer (3.0 %) and wild boars (4.2 %) only played a subordinate role in game farming. Game reserves for wild boars were most commonly pure hunting reserves (75.0 %), whereas the majority of red and fallow deer (39.8 %) and sika deer (37.5 %) were farmed for hobby purposes. The reserves varied in size from less than 2 ha to more than 40 ha, most reserves having an area of 2 to 10 ha. The average number of animals per reserve was relatively constant irrespective of the size of the reserve, so that the legally permissible population density of 10 animals per ha in the case of fallow deer or 6.7 animals per ha in the case of red deer was usually exceeded in the reserves with an area of less than 5 ha.
Special shelters were provided in 63.5 % of all reserves. In 79.3 % of reserves the number and size of the feeding sites was such that all animals were able to eat at the same time. Most game farmers fed their animals once a day, and in 28.6 % of the reserves there was a possibility of strangers feeding the animals as well. Water was supplied via automatic waterers, water troughs or flowing water bodies. The height of the fence varied between 1.90 m and 2.20 m. The majority of reserves were equipped with a trap door entry (79.7 %). 83.0 to 92.3 % of all reserves had acute-angled corners in the fencing.
In 83.3 % of the wild boar and in 62.5 % of the sika deer reserves there had been no diseases, whereas in 56.2 % of the red deer and in 60.2 % of the fallow deer reserves 1 to 15 cases of disease had occurred per reserve and year. These were mainly injuries, parasitic infestation or lameness. The number and percentage of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, the airways and the digestive system as well as injuries were highest in the reserves smaller than 2 ha. The highest percentage of disorders of the digestive system in red and fallow deer was associated with trough feeding.
Deworming was never performed in 37.5 to 66.7 % of the reserves, and in 88.5 to 100 % of the reserves there had never been any ectoparasite treatments. Regular cleaning of the feeding sites was performed in 50.0 to 96.4 % of the reserves, and in 35.2 to 53.8 % the shelters were cleaned on a regular basis. 38.0 to 62,5 % of the game farmers took regular fecal, blood, ground and other samples in order to check on the animals´ state of health and the hygienic condition of the reserve. The most common parasites found were gastrointestinal worms, the small and large liver fluke, and lungworms (Dictyocaulus filaria and Varestrongylus sagittatus).
All in all, a number of deficiencies in game husbandry in Germany have been identified within the framework of this paper. These deficiencies can only be remedied by introducing more precise legal provisions for reserve approval, by improving veterinary control of the reserves, and by more expertise on the part of the game farmers.