Red Deer calf rearing

morena

Well-Known Member
Thought may be of interest all.
We were brought in a very young fallow fawn to the surgery and it took the nurses and myself 10 days to kill it. During this time asked all the experts for advice and discovered nobody really knew much. In the meantime started working with a red deer farm soon to be followed by another.
If the hinds got into trouble calving dart them and dead calf removed. Got through to farmer call sooner than later if trouble calving. Then had the first live calf and dam said nothing to do with me. Hand reared, fortunately had taken some colostrum from dam, feed high fat content substitute, rub its' backside as female to stimulate bowel movements. got rid of meconium and milk started coming through this over next few days. Eventually settled into routine then had to seed it with droppings from adult deer. So that rumen started functioning properly. Another live calf no colostrum bleed recently calved hind feed to calf whole procedure again another female. Now the ooh aah bit
RedDeerCalves.jpg

nursery clothes
RedDeerCalf.jpg

romper suites
CalfandDave.jpg

I wanted to eat the camera, held by Dave
Calves.jpg

Full summer wear.

Never manage to house train her so confined to kitchen when she could get in. Lived to 15 years. The second one decided she would join the herd but was useful as a 'judas goat". She is looking back as someone had opened the kitchen door as goodies came from there but by this time confined to a paddock.
 
Thanks for that excellent little account Morena. It sounds as though its very difficult being a surrogate mother.
 
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