Birth/Congenital defects in Fallow Deer.

[Enigma41a]

Good afternoon
I recently came across a 2024 Fallow fawn (doe) with a deformed face and have been observing her with interest since. She is thriving. Keen to learn about her disfigurement in particular and birth/congenital defects in Fallow in general, I took to the www. I was surprised to find so little information available. She is the second 2024 fawn to have been born with a defect in this area. It got me thinking.. how many of you have come across this kind of thing? What have you seen? Do you think there should be some route to recording these incidences? I actually do
When I ask what you have seen, I don't mean odd antler growth.. the more common stuff which is well documented online.. I mean facial/head/body anomalies and how the deer is affected. Grateful thanks in advance for any responses

 

[VSS]

Good afternoon
I recently came across a 2024 Fallow fawn (doe) with a deformed face and have been observing her with interest since. She is thriving. Keen to learn about her disfigurement in particular and birth/congenital defects in Fallow in general, I took to the www. I was surprised to find so little information available. She is the second 2024 fawn to have been born with a defect in this area. It got me thinking.. how many of you have come across this kind of thing? What have you seen? Do you think there should be some route to recording these incidences? I actually do
When I ask what you have seen, I don't mean odd antler growth.. the more common stuff which is well documented online.. I mean facial/head/body anomalies and how the deer is affected. Grateful thanks in advance for any responses

Do you have any photos of the doe with the deformed face?
I would be interested to see them, if so.

 

[Enigma41a]

Do you have any photos of the doe with the deformed face?
I would be interested to see them, if so.

I do. I'll find them when I'm back home. They are not as good as I know I can get. She has either been at the limit of my zoom or in heat shimmer She is extremely fluffy and is lame somewhat back left. She has no visible injury so am waiting for her to shed the fluff so her hip joint area becomes clearer to see. I am wondering if she has a 'syndrome' of some kind that pulls the lameness into it

 

[Enigma41a]

Do you have any photos of the doe with the deformed face?
I would be interested to see them, if so.

There you go .. I have other pics but a process to upload to here. Numerous attempts but keep getting a "security error" message. Her left eye is affected aswell as her mouth and nose. It is also her left hip area where the lameness seems to stem from.
Hoping other members have sightings to relate

 

[Buchan]

Interesting. I'd wonder if she's been hit by a car to cause damage on head and leg. A deformity like that can be due to damage at the embryo stage and "fluffy" suggests other things wrong too. I'd love to see the head/leg and I doubt she'll be able to eat enough to carry a calf, but beasts do amazing things!

 

[VSS]

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There you go .. I have other pics but a process to upload to here. Numerous attempts but keep getting a "security error" message. Her left eye is affected aswell as her mouth and nose. It is also her left hip area where the lameness seems to stem from.
Hoping other members have sightings to relate

Interesting. I believe the occasional occurence of twisted noses are a recognised "thing" in sika deer, but I've never come across a similar congenital defect in fallow.
Seen a foal born like that though. I shot it.

Interesting. I'd wonder if she's been hit by a car to cause damage on head and leg.

I doubt it. She'd most likely be dead if that was the case. I often see posts on here referring to crippled deer with the response "must've been hit by a car", but in reality most don't survive an rta due to internal damage.

 

[Enigma41a]

Interesting. I'd wonder if she's been hit by a car to cause damage on head and leg. A deformity like that can be due to damage at the embryo stage and "fluffy" suggests other things wrong too. I'd love to see the head/leg and I doubt she'll be able to eat enough to carry a calf, but beasts do amazing things!

I would assume that an impact to cause this kind of damage would have killed her? I filmed her through a heat haze the other day grooming herself and I caught sight of the inside of her mouth resembling cleft palate and yet she has obviously suckled without issue. She grazes without any problem and grooms herself too. Her overall condition is excellent. There is a little buck fawn not far away born missing the lower part of his rear right leg. He is thriving too. They are so resilient. So hope other members have sightings and notes to compare

 

[Enigma41a]

Interesting. I believe the occasional occurence of twisted noses are a recognised "thing" in sika deer, but I've never come across a similar congenital defect in fallow.
Seen a foal born like that though. I shot it.

I doubt it. She'd most likely be dead if that was the case. I often see posts on here referring to crippled deer with the response "must've been hit by a car", but in reality most don't survive an rta due to internal damage.

I know it appears she has a twisted nose what with her jaw being disfigured but her eye is affected too. She's a little oddity. See my reply to Buchan for other details. I'll google the twisted nose thing in Sika and interesting to note your experience with the foal. Thanks for responding and interest. I really appreciate it

 

[Ruby Tuesday 2]

Her teeth appear to be over grown possibly because they are not making contact and wearing down. Not making any judgement but is there any reason she's not been culled.

 

[Enigma41a]

Her teeth appear to be over grown possibly because they are not making contact and wearing down. Not making any judgement but is there any reason she's not been culled.

She is on private ground where owner won't grant permission for any shooting unless strong case for humane dispatch. As she is thriving and healthy.. she doesn't warrant that. But I am able to kedp up with and observe her which is informative and interesting

 

[WalkedUp]

Very interesting, thank you for posting and including such high quality photography.

 

[Enigma41a]

Very interesting, thank you for posting and including such high quality photography.

Thank you.. though I can get much better quality pictures in the coming days

 

[Ruby Tuesday 2]

Could schmallenberg cause this.

 

[VSS]

Could schmallenberg cause this.

Interesting

 

[Ruby Tuesday 2]

She is on private ground where owner won't grant permission for any shooting unless strong case for humane dispatch. As she is thriving and healthy.. she doesn't warrant that. But I am able to kedp up with and observe her which is informative and interesting

Great I will watch with interest, has you have pointed out if it's a birth defect she knows no different and she's looking otherwise healthy

 

[Ruby Tuesday 2]

Interesting

A few of my local sheep farmer are saying it has been bad the last lambing season.

 

[sikamalc]

Iv'e had one or two Reds some years back with twisted nose, and once on a Sika. Not had it in any other species. I seem to remember that there was a whole article written on this deformation in the BDS deer magazine a few years back.

 

[VSS]

Google "wry nose deer" and you'll see a few examples come up (though mostly whitetail).
Also, there's a few pics on Instagram of wry nosed sika shot in the UK.

 

[British Shooting Services]

Slightly different from facial deformities, the young fallow in the picks came limping on to a ride with a broken rear leg and missing a front leg, but it was still feeding. Back at the larder I skinned the animal and found a “miniature” front leg under the skin.

 

[British Shooting Services]

Also in the same county and fallow again