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My husband and I received our first Whitetail fawn when she was a day old. A few weeks before bringing her home we applied through the Department of Natural Resources for our wildlife breeders license. You must obtain this, and the breeder numbers of the buck and doe that the fawn came from. We allowed this fawn to nurse from her mother for a 24 hours to receive some colostrum before bringing her home.
We placed her in a dog carrier for the transport home. The fawns are very scared and docile and are easily handled the first few days. She was kept in the house for her first 3 weeks and then moved to a dog pen outside. Whitetail deer can jump straight up from a very young age. We recommend at least a 4 ft. fence until 12 weeks of age and then a 9-10ft fence from then on.
Whitetail deer are fed goat milk replacer. This can be found at many feed or farm stores. For feeding, we used a regular baby bottle with a rubber nipple. A long red rubber nipple used to bottle feed goats and lambs may also be purchased. The bag of replacer will tell you how to mix the formula. We would mix a big batch and store it in a container in the refrigerator.
We started our fawn out on a 3 hour feeding schedule. It is very important that these fawns are fed at least 6 times per day for the first few weeks. Start with an ounce of formula. Our fawn just laid around for the first week and didn't get up and move much. For feedings we placed her on a towel and fed her while she was lying down. We had many problems with her feedings. She didn't take to the nipple well at all and we ended up using a syringe to force feed her for a few days. After she got the hang of it, she ate like a pro. It is advisable to add 1-2 tablespoons of plain yogurt to each bottle to prevent diarrhea. The diarrhea can be fatal to a fawn and you can lose them very fast. If the diarrhea still persists, talking to a wildlife or exotic veterinarian about medication may be necessary.
We placed her in a dog carrier for the transport home. The fawns are very scared and docile and are easily handled the first few days. She was kept in the house for her first 3 weeks and then moved to a dog pen outside. Whitetail deer can jump straight up from a very young age. We recommend at least a 4 ft. fence until 12 weeks of age and then a 9-10ft fence from then on.
Whitetail deer are fed goat milk replacer. This can be found at many feed or farm stores. For feeding, we used a regular baby bottle with a rubber nipple. A long red rubber nipple used to bottle feed goats and lambs may also be purchased. The bag of replacer will tell you how to mix the formula. We would mix a big batch and store it in a container in the refrigerator.
We started our fawn out on a 3 hour feeding schedule. It is very important that these fawns are fed at least 6 times per day for the first few weeks. Start with an ounce of formula. Our fawn just laid around for the first week and didn't get up and move much. For feedings we placed her on a towel and fed her while she was lying down. We had many problems with her feedings. She didn't take to the nipple well at all and we ended up using a syringe to force feed her for a few days. After she got the hang of it, she ate like a pro. It is advisable to add 1-2 tablespoons of plain yogurt to each bottle to prevent diarrhea. The diarrhea can be fatal to a fawn and you can lose them very fast. If the diarrhea still persists, talking to a wildlife or exotic veterinarian about medication may be necessary.
- bottle feeding schedule
Comments
Soft Heart
(Guest)
(Guest)
07/17/2009
I'm still very concerned about the fawn. I thought the parent(s) were dead because he always came into the yard alone. Lately, about 2 or 3 mature deer and maybe 2 young ones come together but the baby fawn is not with them. Later it will come by itself. Have they abandoned it? Why would they do that?
Soft Heart
(Guest)
(Guest)
07/01/2009
How do you 'guesstimate' the age of a fawn? It's old enough to eat leaves from low shrubs. But, not old enough to know it should run from you before you get too close. It's real inexperienced and alone. I just read to leave out some apples and goat's milk. it's too hot here in Florida and the milk may spoil.
Amanda Green
(Guest)
(Guest)
06/03/2009
My father found a fawn she was in the middle of the road it was a very heavy traffic area . He is wondering if he should give her water tonght since he has no goat milk or lam lac
Little Deer
(Guest)
(Guest)
05/30/2009
To the person who is having trouble getting their fawn to nurse:
We got her to suck a warm finger before she would take to the bottle.
Good luck!
Little Deer
(Guest)
(Guest)
05/30/2009
We recently became the care-givers of a young white-tail deer fawn whose mother was poisoned by a homeowner for eating her flower gardens. By all estimates she is between 3-4 weeks old. She has been with us 5 days and has adjusted well. She is taking 8oz. of a formula of goat milk, cow milk, and lactate 5-6 times a day. My question is, what sort of laws and regulations must I be aware of in New York State? I have been advised that the Department of Environmental Conservation will take her, place her in another home where she will be nursed much the same as we are doing, but there are huge risks involved in doing this myself, including arrest, large fines, and felony charges! We just want to help! We have been in contact with a local farmer who owns 88 acres of woodland where many deer have resided free from the threat of hunters for several years and she would be happy to take her when she is old enough to fend for herself. Also, how might we ensure that she is ready and be able to tak
mlj
(Guest)
(Guest)
07/28/2008
use a eye dropper force feed, but carefully
JESSIE
(Guest)
(Guest)
07/08/2008
WHAT IF THA DEER DOES'NT TAKE THA BOTTLE HOW DO YOU GET IT TO EAT?
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