Wild animal farming

Regional State Administrative Agencies keep records of game management farms. Compliance with animal welfare regulations is enforced by local authority veterinary officers.

Advice and guidance

You must let the competent Regional State Administrative Agency know if you keep wild mammals or birds or their offspring that are born in captivity

  • for the purpose of producing meat or eggs of for breeding animals or
  • for release back into the wild at a later date (game management farms).

Only the following species of wild mammals and birds can be farmed:

  • white-tailed deer, fallow deer, forest reindeer, roe deer, mountain hare, brown hare, mouflon and wild boar
  • pheasant, mallard, partridge, capercaillie, black grouse, willow grouse, bean goose, greylag goose and Canada goose
  • Japanese deer, red deer, water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), American bison (Bison bison), ostrich, emu, American rhea and coypu.

Here is a checklist of what to do before you begin to farm wild animals:

  1. Find out about the animal welfare requirements for farming different species. Contact your local authority veterinary officer if you have any questions.
  2. Complete the animal husbandry and trade notice form. A link to the form is provided at the bottom of this page.
  3. Send the form to the registry of the Regional State Administrative Agency in whose jurisdiction your farm is located. A link to the contact information of Regional State Administrative Agencies’ registries is provided at the bottom of this page. 
  4. Prepare yourself for a visit from a local animal welfare officer. 
  5. Keep an up-to-date list of the animals on your farm.

processing fee for notifications of keeping of wild animal species, section 58, EUR 85

You need to let the competent Regional State Administrative Agency know of any material changes in your operation.

Topics that might interest you

the Finnish Food Authority

Further information on the topic