Rearing
Orphaned Deer
Please
check if it really is orphaned or abandoned
People 'rescue' fawns that are perfectly healthy and that probably have
a
mother nearby. they simply think that because they are on their own,
they must
be orphans.
Find out exactly why the fawn was picked up.
If there is no good reason, take it back to exactly where it was found,
pull up
several handsful of grass and rub this over the fawn to disguise any
human
smells it may have collected.
Watch from a reasonable distance, preferably downwind and using
binoculars, to
check that the mother returns to the fawn.
Estimating
the age
New-born
Soft coat, very unsteady, moist umbilical cord, body looks 'hollow' and
the
animal very leggy
One week
Slightly wobbly, body more 'filled out', coat smoother
Housing
Young
fawns need close contact with the person rearing them and should
ideally live
in the house for the first few weeks, provided there are no dogs
around.
They are small enough to sleep in a large cat basket and can go out
into the
garden to browse in the quiet mornings and evenings.
Later, they should be housed in a spacious, draft free shed or out
building
with a good layer of hay on the floor.
Straw can be used but should be hidden under the hay to prevent the
fawn from
eating it.
If possible there should be free access to a secure garden or paddock
bordering
wild deer territory.
Ideally the fawn should be raised with other fawns to simulate more
natural
behaviour and reduce dependence on a foster mother.
Feeding
From
the first day, calves need a shallow dish of soil to lick; this
provides vital
trace elements and helps activate the gut bacteria.
After each feed they can be given a few of the following delicacies:
rose petals, young rose leaves, buttercup and dandelion flowers,
clover, young
leaves of apple, plum, cherry, gooseberry and bramble.
Once bonded with the foster parent, the fawn can be shown these items
in the
garden as its mother would in the wild.
Wandering around and browsing twice a day will give the fawn some
exercise.
Grooming
Fawns
should be groomed daily with a soft brush.
This will strengthen the bond with the foster mother and is very
soothing. it
also helps keep the coat in good condition.
Toileting
This is
done while the fawn is feeding.
Using a warm, damp sponge, gently stroke the perianal and genital area
until
urine and pellets are passed.
These will be soft until the fawn is about 2 weeks old and toiletting
should
continue until the fawn is about 6 weeks old and voluntarily producing
pellets
regularly.
Fawns do not need to stand up to urinate ands often wet their beds!
Milk Feeding
Techniques
Use a bottle with a lamb feeding
teat if possible and enlarge the hole to a 1 cm slit.
Straddle the fawn and lean over it to simulate the body of the mother.
Keep the bottle at a 45° angle and gently hold the fawn's muzzle as
the teat is
introduced.
It will be tricky at first as the fawn learns to suck properly from the
bottle
but do persist and it will soon be taking the right amount of feed.
Milk Feeding
- Roe
Deer
Use
sheep's or goat’s milk or best of all, Lam Lac formula designed for
orphaned
lambs.
If the
fawn is only a few hours old it will also need colostrum for a few days
in the
regular feeds.
Record
the amount taken each day for each feed and when urine and faeces
produced each
day.
First allow it to suck the index and middle fingers of one hand, gradually lower your hand and the fawn's mouth into the milk.
It will drink through the fingers and these can then be gently withdrawn.
Usually a fawn learns to drink from a bowl after about 3 feeds with fingers.
Be sure to toilet as usual and also to clean any milk from the face after feeding as it can damage the hair if left.
If a calf is reluctant to suck, try massaging and stroking the throat to induce the reflex.
Age
1-7 days 5
feeds per day. Keep to the same times
10 ml per feed, gradually increasing to about 75-100 ml
Age
8 - 14 days 4
feeds daily, reducing to 3 feeds daily by day 12
Give about 100 ml per feed, increasing to about
175 ml per
feed.
Age 3 - 8 weeks 3
feeds a day
About 180 - 250 ml per feed
Age
9-10 weeks 2
feeds a day
About 250 - 300 ml per feed
Age
11-12 weeks 1
feed
a day
About 300-350 ml per feed
Feeding
Guidelines for other species
Muntjac fawns will need between a third and half of these amounts
Fallow Deer calves will need approximately twice these amounts
Red Deer calves will need about 4 times these amounts
Weaning
Once
the fawn is weaned more foodstuffs can be introduced to the diet e.g.
hay, grass, calf rearing pellets, dry rabbit mix, oak, chestnut,
hawthorn and
willow shoots, apples, coarse calf mix, sprouts, potato,
carrots, fern, acorns, rabbit pellets.
Reduce the amount of contact gradually until the deer becomes less
inclined to
want human contact.
If wild deer visit the area they may come and visit the fawn at dawn
and dusk
and help reduce its dependence on people for company.
Release
Hand reared deer that remain very
tame should never be released into the wild as they will not have the
necessary
fear of people to help their survival.
Those raised alone may also develop aberrant behaviour, particularly
male
animals, as they can become aggressive at mating time and
if unafraid of people, could get into a dangerous situation.
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