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On our farm we run Red, Fallow and Wapiti Deer. Deer antlers have been used for thousands of years for weapons, food utensils and various other functional tools and ornaments. Towards the end of the year the male deer cast their antlers in preparation to grow new antlers. From these animals, we scour the paddocks during October to pick up the cast deer antlers that have naturally dropped off. It is these beautiful antlers that we use to create our deer antler chandeliers, lamp stands, candelabras and other unique deer antler furniture. Deer Antler is an unusual structure which goes through various different growth stages. Initially the deer antler grows rapidly through a period called velvet antler, when the antler is covered in a hairy velvet like coating and is like the consistency of carrot. The deer velvet antler is very sensitive to the deer growing it, so they are very cautious and protective over their new antlers on their head as, if damaged the velvet antler bleeds profusely and is very painful to the stag. After several weeks the consistency changes to the hard deer antler we all recognize as it calcifies in time for the breeding season, when the stags use their antlers to defend their females from other potential suitors. Fallow deer antler grows in a different shape to many other deer in that when mature, it forms a large palm like structure at the end of the antlers beam similar to a small Moose antler. Deer antler growth is a remarkable biological structure in that it takes the same length of time, about 3 months, for the deer antler to grow for a young stag to 12 inches long as it takes for a mature stag to grow a set of antlers 30 to 40 inches long