Deer Vet

The information supplied here is aimed at helping a general understanding of problems confronted by deer farmers and may be useful when consulting your own Vet.  Where necessary, personal information such as return e-mail addresses have been eliminated.

Please read all the questions before you write to Dr. English.

There is a good chance that a problem similar to yours has already been discussed.  For example, here are the answers to three of the overseas questions:

Q.26.  “If you castrate this fawn prepuberally he will not grow antlers and he should not become aggressive.  In other words, he must be castrated before he develops antler pedicles, which is probably best done no later than 4-6 months of age.  Make certain that he is vaccinated against tetanus before he is castrated.  However, even very tame castrates do occasionally become a problem, so you will need to watch him.”

Q.29.  “Dear Jan, I am afraid that you are confronting an extremely difficult problem.  Any hand raised buck eventually becomes aggressive, and has the potential to very seriously injure or even kill people - not just your other animals.  Castration of an adult male results in the development of what is called a perruque head, in which the antlers stay in permanent velvet but continue to grow each year, with bizarre shapes developing - quite unlike normal antlers.  It does not matter a which stage the castration is done.  There is no guarantee that castration will change his behaviour - once acquired the aggression often does not go away.  You are going to have to decide whether you can take the risk of someone being very badly hurt, as will almost certainly occur in time.  I am afraid the only alternative that is reliable is to get rid of him.”

Q.44. “Hand raised male deer are always dangerous unless they are castrated before puberty.  If you can arrange for this to be done now in a 3 month-old animal that should work out OK.  If you cannot have him castrated immediately you should not take the risk of keeping him.  Please take this warning very seriously.”

(The latest question and answers are at the bottom of each section.)

If you would like to ask a question, send an email to our vet, Dr Tony English of Sydney University, at anthonye@camden.usyd.edu.au
 

QUESTIONS FROM:

• AUSTRALIAN / NEW ZEALAND
• OVERSEAS

A. There are at least 12 genera and 14 species of deer recognised in the world.  Some species (such as Red Deer - Cervus elaphus) have several well-defined subspecies.  Deer come from all parts of the world except Australia and New Zealand.  In these two countries they were introduced shortly after colonisation.  There are two principal groups of deer - the temperate species from Europe and North America, and the tropical species from Asia.

Q.2.  What products are derived from your enterprise? (Leonie and Nicole, NSW)

A. There are several products from deer including:
1. Venison
2. Velvet
3. Skins
4. Co-products

Q.3.  How are products harvested? (Leonie and Nicole, NSW)

A. Venison, hides and co-products come from the deer that are slaughtered in approved abattoirs.  Deer horn, or velvet, is removed using either a local anaesthetic or full anaesthesia every year by fully trained and accredited veterinarians or farmers.

Q.4.  How are the products used?  (Leonie and Nicole, NSW)

A.  1. Venison is the meat of deer and is one of the best sources of iron in our diet.  It is also a very low cholesterol meat being almost fat free.
2. Velvet is the unset antler that is dried and used in traditional Eastern Medicine to treat a variety of illnesses such as arthritis and osteoporosis.  It is now becoming widely used in Western Medicine as its value is better understood.
3. The skins of deer make the finest leather available for both garments and other leather products.
4. Co-products include such things as tails, pizzles, blood and tendons, which are also used in traditional Eastern Medicine.

Q.5.  What special care do deer need? (Leonie and Nicole, NSW)

A. The requirements of deer are similar to those of dairy cattle.  They need long pasture, ample water supply in summer and high-energy foods in winter.  In addition they require strong, high boundary fences but can be farmed with internal electric fences.  They require specialised handling facilities with either high yards or suitable sheds.

Q.6.  What associations have been established to help farmers? (Leonie and Nicole, NSW)

A. The Deer Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) is the overall peak body of the deer industry and provides a range of services from education to representation to Government.

Q.7.  Does your enterprise have any advantages/disadvantages to the environment?  (Leonie and Nicole, NSW)

A. Overstocking can be detrimental to the environment with Red Deer since they wallow in mud holes that may cause erosion.

Q.8.  Does the product have any advantages /disadvantages over more traditional products? (Leonie and Nicole, NSW)

A. On the positive side they produce a higher quality meat per hectare than other farmed animals.

Q.9.  Can deer be farmed successfully on a property also breeding cattle or it this to be avoided? (Margaret Wilson, Victoria)

A. The short answer is – yes.   Deer can be successfully farmed with cattle, however there are a few precautions.  I note that you are from Victoria, hence I will confine my comments to the temperate species of Fallow, Red and Elk.  The principal nutritional problem you would have is that Red and Elk compete with cattle for the same type of pasture, consequently your pasture management would require close attention.  Fallow deer, on the other hand, graze shorter pastures and are less competitive with cattle for pasture species.

From a disease point of view, the major POTENTIAL cross infection is likely to be Bovine or Ovine Johne’s Disease.  This has never been a problem, for a well managed farm, in Australia but we must be aware of it especially if the property has a history of bovine JD.  Lungworm, particularly in young deer, is the major parasite that deer can obtain from cattle, as is Ostertagia - particularly in Elk.  Most diseases of deer in a farmed environment are stress induced.  The two major disease problems in your area would be Yersinia and Malignant Catarrhal Fever.  Yersinia is very common in Red deer (up to 25% of all animals are likely to have the bacteria naturally in their gut) so contracting the disease from cattle really isn't an issue.  Malignant Catarrhal Fever is caught from sheep not cattle.

An advantage of farming Red deer and Elk with cattle is that, with minor adaptations, common handling facilities can be used.

Q.10.  I am wondering how much copper to feed my red deer - say a 100kg. lactating hind for example.  Does this depend on available data of soil condition -ie pH, available Cu, Mo and S etc?  How do I know if I am over dosing my stock?  Are copper bullets "better" than CuSO4 when applied in solution and mixed with a grain feed?  (Andy Cowan, Victoria)

A. Copper is one of the most problematic areas of deer nutrition.  It is an interesting element (or more precisely "micro-nutrient") in that it is involved in at least 10 enzymes in the body ranging from blood, to coat condition through the reproduction.  While it has been researched for many years it remains a problem for us in the Deer Industry since deer react differently from other ruminants to copper metabolism.

The questions you pose are exceedingly complicated.  To date no one knows what is the daily intake requirement of copper for deer.  I have observed that deer with apparently "normal" blood copper levels will show changes in their coat (particularly in summer) that is similar to the "steely wool" problem in sheep.  I presented these findings to the 4th World Deer Biology Conference in Hungary earlier this year.  There are three photographs below to illustrate how you may use the coat appearance as an early indicator of copper deficiency.

There are two types of copper deficiency:
  Primary: where there is insufficient copper in the diet.
  Secondary: where there is sufficient copper in the diet but some other factor prevents its utilisation.

Your reference to Mo & S is the critical aspect of causing this secondary copper deficiency. Only small increases in the molybdenum and sulphur (Mo & S) concentration of grass will cause major reductions in the availability of copper to the animal.  This is particularly true of improved pastures.  The Mo levels are directly related to the pH of the soil.  Grasses grown on strongly acidic Mo-rich soils have LOW Mo levels while the reverse is true for alkaline soils - even on low Mo soil values.  Heavily limed pastures are often associated with low copper intakes.  Overdosing of deer with copper is difficult to do under normal farming conditions.  This is one of the great mysteries of copper & deer.  It appears that deer are able to utilise copper very well and would only show signs of copper poisoning under extreme conditions.  Copper bullets are the only sure way to provide a constant nutritional source of copper to deer particularly during the times of greatest need - pregnancy and lactation.  Copper sulphate (CuSo4 or "bluestone") can be added to the drinking water, however deer drink very little during the winter and early spring – hence they would not be getting any at all.  The other problem is that we don't know how much is enough in the drinking water.  Yes, I know it is a real pain administering the bullets, but they are the most successful method of copper supplementation.
As a guide:
  Hinds:  Twice yearly - one month prior to the rut and calving
  Stags:  Twice yearly - one month prior to button drop and the rut
  Yearlings   Start at 9 months of age.
"Normal" values of deer copper:
  Blood - lowest level is 8µmol/L
  Liver - lowest level is 100µmol/Kg
The first step is to test 10 animals from a suspected low copper herd.  If 3 are below 8µmol/L then you have a problem.  As copper is stored in the liver it would then be necessary to test the copper levels in the liver.
 
 

Q.11.  Are red deer susceptible to Buffalo Fly and if so what are the symptoms and
recommended treatment?  (Mark Gillespie, Queensland)

A. The true "Buffalo Fly" (Haematobia irritans exigua) has limited distribution in Northern Australia.  They are parasites of water buffalo and cattle and are unable to survive away from these animals.  Deer have not been reported to have been affected by them.

Q.12.  Is age or body weight, or both, the most important factor in getting pregnant for a young doe? (Michael Cass, NSW)

A. There are two fundamental aspects to any animal reaching sexual maturity.  The first is genetic and the second is nutrition (and hence body-weight).  There certainly appears that some family lines of deer reach sexual maturity earlier than others.  With Fallow Deer (Dama dama) the critical body-weight for sexual maturity of does is about 30Kg.  This should easily be achieved by 15mths of age with good nutrition.

Q.13.  We have a small herd of fallow deer, and a good quantity of plants, namely Fodder or African Pea, which was grown here for the deer prior to our arrival.  Do you know this plant and if so, could you advise if the quality and what quantity should be given as feed and what supplements are required?  (Agnita Vorderhake, Western Australia)

A. Could you obtain from your Agriculture Department the botanical names of the two plants you mention?  This will help with the final answer.

Q.14.  We are looking at purchasing a deer farm although we want to run cattle instead of deer.  Are there any diseases or complications that may occur to the cattle if we do this? (Brad Crofts, NSW)

A. In a word - no. (for more information please read Q9)

Q.15. We often hear about changing deer to a new feed.  It seems that to completely change ruminants to a new diet the process takes about 2 weeks in order for the stomach's fauna to adjust.  I am curious to know what is the time taken for the old fauna to die.  For example - if I am feeding my deer oats every day at a rate of about 1kg/animal and I go away for a week, or what ever, is there a time limit where I should be careful about resuming the prior feeding regime?  (Andy Cowan, Victoria)

A. This is a question that causes angst among all ruminant farmers.  In the case of deer, if they have been correctly trained to grain eating (over say a 2 - 3 week period) and have been on that diet for some months, then there is very little problem removing the grain for up to one month and re-introducing without the gradual build-up.

Q.16.  Message: I have recently sold some stags and the report back stated one had arthritis, could you please tell me the likely cause and how to prevent re-occurrence.  Thank you. (Paul McMaster, Victoria)

A. If this condition occurred in only a single animal it is likely to be just a one-off problem.  I would need to know more about the deer concerned, especially his age.  Arthritis can be due to infectious reasons, but this is almost always in very young animals with other health problems.  This occurs in cattle calves, and could occur in deer, but is not commonly reported. Sporadic cases in older animals are mostly degenerative conditions related to age, and nothing much can be done to prevent these.  If you see additional cases a more thorough investigation would certainly be warranted.  Only then would it be possible to come up with any rational preventive measures.

Q.17. Could you tell me the life span or expectancy of a white tailed deer?  (Linda, Victoria)

A. The life expectancy of any deer in the wild can vary enormously depending on a range of natural and other variables.  It would not be unusual for most wild deer to live for 8-10 years, and many live even longer than that.  On the other hand, deer in captivity can live for up to 20 years and even longer, with good nutrition and few of the risks of life in the wild.

Q.18. Could you please advise as to how to feed and rear an orphan fawn of each breed? (Fiona McCulloch, Queensland)

A. The principles of rearing orphan deer are no different to those that apply to lambs and cattle calves.  In comparing chital and red deer the main difference would be in the amount of milk which each would require at a feed, based purely on size.  The success or otherwise of rearing orphans depends first of all on how old and in what condition they are in when you start, but never underestimate how much time and effort is required.  My suggestion is to avoid hand rearing deer calves unless it is absolutely necessary.  Remember that hand reared male deer become very aggressive when older, so do not make a pet of an entire stag calf under any circumstances.  If you do have to hand rear a calf, first of all try to ensure that it has had access to colostrum on the first day of life (use frozen/thawed colostrum from a goat or cow if necessary).  A goat can be used quite effectively as a surrogate mother, which reduces the workload considerably.

If you are forced to hand feed a deer calf it has been my experience that it is easiest if the animal will drink from a bowl rather than from a bottle.  Most calves will do this with bit of encouragement for a day or two, but once they learn how to do it they consume a feed very quickly and easily.  Various milk replacers have been used successfully, and there is not the space here to give all details. One simple formula is a tin of Carnation milk with an equal quantity of water, to which you add an egg yolk.  When the calf reaches about 4 weeks of age you can use Denkavit milk powder or equivalent, which is much cheaper.  A young calf needs 10-20% of its body weight in milk each day, until it starts to take solid feed. You may need to feed the calf every 3-4 hours for a week or so, but after that you can start to omit the middle of the night feeds.  By 3 weeks of age use 4 feeds a day, and at 6 weeks you can use 3 feeds a day.  Offer a pelleted concentrate in addition to milk at about 6-8 weeks, and wean at about 3 months.

Q.19.  I bought a couple of little doe fawns with a yellowish white matter in their eyes and tear duct.  I gave them both an antibiotic, but now I notice it on some of my other stock. What is the cause of the mucus and how do I treat it?
P.S. the fawns still have it. (Lee, Victoria)

A. - If the ocular discharge is not accompanied by changes to the eyeball itself (cloudiness, ulceration), and the fawns are otherwise quite well, then it is probably a simple conjunctivitis you are dealing with.  This tends to be most prevalent when the animals are run under hot, dusty conditions, and/or when flies are bad.  Most cases recover without treatment, but some may require use of ocular antibiotic ointment.  However, the handling required for this type of treatment usually makes it impractical, except in pet fawns.

Q.20.  I am in the process of looking into Deer farming and just want to get an idea on handling and paddock size.  For example, are deer harder to handle then cattle (as I run cattle) and would a paddock size of between 80 to 100 hectares be too big?  Why I ask that is that I am not in a high rain fall zone, 5 to 6 DSE.  Regards, John Maslin

A. The principles of handling deer are pretty much the same as for cattle, with few exceptions.  Fences are a bit higher of course, although farm deer rarely ever challenge a fence unless panicked by something, eg. dogs.  In terms of your specific question, there is no "correct" answer - paddocks can be any size, provided that you have arrangements for easily getting the deer out of the paddock as required and into lane ways or a fresh paddock.  This should be done with a minimum of chasing and a lot of coercion.  You can easily train deer to go through gates into small gathering paddocks and lanes by using feed. You must have a look at a few good deer farms to see the variety of arrangements that work well.  Learn by all the mistakes that were made in doing things the hard way.  Good luck.

Q.21. Re: Fusobacterium Necrophorum: Now that CSL no longer makes the FRA vaccine for this bacteria, could you recommend a suitable replacement?  I have searched the net and found that Bayer make two products which may help.  They are called Volar and Fusogard.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  (A Concerned Australian Deer Farmer - who wishes to remain unanimous).

A.  Fusobacterium infections have been something of a problem for fallow deer farmers in some areas.  The old FRA vaccine was quite widely used, with anecdotal stories about its positive protective effects.  I am not sure that any proper trial was ever conducted though. Since FRA went off the market I have heard about Volar being used with similar alleged benefits, but again I am not aware of any work being done to prove that this is so.  In the meantime I am sure that it will continue to be used, and if anyone knows of a study that supports it's use I am sure they will tell us about it.

Q.22. Sorry to trouble you again, I contacted Bayer Australia and received the following reply:
  "You posted the following inquiry on Bayer's internet site.  Volar was manufactured by Bayer in the USA and sold there and in some other countries.  It was evaluated for Australia some years ago and it was found that the product could not be imported due to quarantine regulations.  In the meantime manufacture has been discontinued by Bayer in the USA.  Yours sincerely, R. Cranna, Regulatory Affairs Manager, Bayer Australia Ltd (Animal Health)".
The reason that I caught onto Volar was that I had heard from the fellows in New Zealand that as per your reports, they were using it with excellent results, however it looks as if we miss out.  The product that I also referred to as "Fusogard" is made by RXV Products in the States and appears to be exactly what the Vet ordered, but trying to get it shipped over here would be next to impossible.  What do sheep farmers do, to vaccinate against these bacteria?  Are you aware any other products that would do the same job?  This is the first year that I have knowingly suffered any losses from Fuso.  I have only lost 2 fawns so far due to the fact that I picked it up early on & treated with Penicillin and Terramycin.  I have had at least 12 with it and symptoms range from drooling saliva from mouth with foul smelling breath, swollen and enlarged umbilical cord, lerthargic & uncoordinated walk, followed shortly after (12hrs) by death.  I have on 3 occasions yarded all does and fawns and done blanket treatments of the above on all fawns, however this is very risky yarding young fawns and have probably been lucky to get away with it.  Speaking to others that have had severe losses (up to 50% mortality) it’s a wonder that something has not been done or that something is not readily available?  Any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards Peter

A. From the information you have obtained it seems that there is currently no Fuso vaccine available in Australia - nor I suspect is there likely to be in the foreseeable future, given the small demand.  It is not a problem for the sheep industry.  It is certainly a dilemma for fallow deer farmers who get hit with this problem.  Early antibiotic treatment can save lives, but as you say, yarding small fawns is really not a good option.  I have to be honest and say that there is really no preventive measure that you can take that will make a great deal of difference at the moment.

Q.23.  Are any health problems encountered in feeding day-old bread to deer? (M. Whitlock, Sydney, NSW)

A. The problem is not with how old the bread is, but with just how much is safe in a single feed, for deer that are currently grazing on pasture.  Any ruminant animal (which includes cattle, sheep, deer and antelopes) can get into trouble if it is offered an excessive amount of carbohydrate in one feed.  This most commonly occurs with grain so the condition is usually called grain engorgement or acute ruminal impaction, but it can occur with any source of fermentable carbohydrate - including bread, fruit, vegetables etc.  The animals need time to adjust their digestive processes to a new feed that is high in carbohydrate, compared to pasture.  This process of adjustment takes at least 10-14 days, and to be safe the new feed should be gradually introduced over that time.  I have seen deer lost trough the tipping of a trailer load of bread into a paddock without any period of adjustment to this large feed of bread.  An adult red deer on pasture can safely be offered one loaf.

Q.24.  Could you please tell us if feeding lucerne/alfalfa to newly pregnant deer would cause them to abort the foetus?  If so, when is it safe to put pregnant deer onto a lucerne paddock?  We regularly feed our deer lucerne mainly as haylage or lucerne silage but want to know if we can safely put them straight into the paddock (Karen Owen, Taupo, NZ)

A. I know of no reason why you should not use lucerne as you suggest.  I guess if the feed in question had high levels of oestrogens it could interfere with conception, but I am not aware of this happening with deer.

Q.25.  I have been reading "Deer Vet" and found it very informative.  Could you please advise if line breeding is recommended for red deer, and if so for how many generations?  For example if a superior stag is purchased, how many generations of his daughters could he serve without compromising velvet production and/or soundness in the offspring?  Thanks for your help.  S Rose

A. I guess geneticists are a bit ambiguous about the use of line breeding - when does it cross the line into being inbreeding with all the alleged problems of that situation?  I am not a geneticist so I will only say that my belief is that if you continue to line breed for more than a couple of generations there is a chance that adverse traits will emerge.  Perhaps best not to push it too hard, on balance.

Q.26.  I am looking at the possibility of entering the deer farming industry (not on a large scale).  I would like to know if the NSW Alps (Jindabyne area at around 1100 metres) would be a suitable area for growing?

A. This is a really difficult question to answer with any precision.  It will depend so much on the nature of the property, and in particular on how you would provide supplements for those times of year when you cannot grow adequate feed.   For females the time of peak demand is lactation (December to April) and for stags/bucks it is after the rut (June to September), although they also need good nutrition throughout the antler growth period as well (ie. late spring/summer).  I guess your major problem will be the short pasture-growing season at that altitude, and you would need a good plan to fill in the gaps.  The notion that deer will thrive on poor country where cattle will not has long since been laid to rest.  As with any livestock it is all about inputs and outputs.   For both red deer and fallow deer the very cold winters should not be a major problem, provided that they have adequate shelter.

Q.27. We have a 9 day-old Rusa fawn that was abandoned by its mother shortly after birth (she was covered in ants and still wet when found).  She tolerated the formula we had her on for 4 days, then diarrhoea.  We tried electrolyte mix and boiled water for 24hours and now she is up to half strength goat's milk -150ml (she weighs 2800gm) 3rd hourly which she seems fine on.  Her faeces are yellow, soft and offensive- with grass matter in it - is this normal?  Previously you mentioned a pelleted concentrate- what is this exactly? (Sharon-Qld)

A. Young fawns will take some solids from about 2 weeks if they are strong and fit, but they are still very much dependent on milk.  Do not water the goat's milk down, since the fawn cannot then clot the milk in it's stomach - this is a normal part of the digestive process.  If she is scouring give her extra fluids as an electrolyte mix, but no closer than 4 hours to a milk feed.  That has the same effect as diluting the milk.  I cannot recall the context of a mention of a pelleted feed, but I guess I was referring to rabbit pellets, which have a formulation that is quite suitable for fawns.

Q.28.  I have tried to find rabbit pellets from our local pet food supplier but the only thing available are those given to goats, chicken or guinea pigs - no one seems to know which to use.  Our fawn is back on full strength goat's milk and continues to feed readily on grass, dirt and plants.  Are there any types of plants (garden-wise) which may be poisonous to her?  We appreciate your help greatly. (Sharon- Q)

A.  The goat pellets would be fine, with access to fresh green grass and/or good quality lucerne chaff.  Once he begins to brows plants like oleander and lantana will be a possible problem.  The list of potential poison plants is very long of course, depending on where you are and what has been planted.

Q.29.  During a visit to a deer farm, I was told that if a stag was castrated at the wrong time, they could grow lots of velvet, which could end up hanging down over their eyes.  Is this the same as perruque head?  Or is this a condition occurring in a different type of deer/when the deer is castrated at a different stage of development? Thank you! - Hannah

A.  You are correct - any male deer castrated after puberty becomes a perruque, with continuously growing velvet antler that never hardens.  Not a good outcome.

Q.30.  We have about 90 Jarvan Rusa whose fur is very patchy and at the end of their backs, where tail starts the hair is scruffy and sticks up in the air.  Some of the larger females have large patches of black hair and the rest of their coats seem drab.  We have been feeding them corn and steamed flaked barley as well as the natural grass (spear) with some legume in it.  Is it a nutrient thing as many of the deer came from drought affected areas where they received no supplementary feeds apart from sorghum hay?

A. This could well be some form of feed deficiency or imbalance in these tough dry times.  I would only be guessing beyond that.  You may need to think about an investigation of the situation, if it really does seem to be bothering them.  It may pass off with time anyway, if they are now on better feed.

Q.31.  I am a fawn rehabilitator and received a 4-month-old fawn from people who had her for 1 week.  She was emaciated and kept contained in a kennel and was franticly pacing when I picked her up.  They fed her a diet of apples for the time they had her.  Subsequently, when I got her to my place, she developed acidosis and stasis within 48 hours.  Although I treated her and successfully and her faecal production is now normal, her urine was reddish-brown for several to four days and she is unable to rise on her own although will remain standing for 5-10mins when I get her up.  She has a slight drop in her hocks, and joint cracking.  I believe I'm dealing with ataxic myoglobinuric syndrome.  She currently is receiving probiotics, sodium bicarbonate, bo-se and methocarbamol.  What additionally would you suggest, including your antibiotic choice and dosage, and any other treatment.  She weighs 12kg. Thank you Leah Whitesell

A.  It certainly sounds like the animal has PCM, and if so she is in deep trouble.  There is no consistently successful treatment once this has occurred, although the approach that you are taking is often tried.   This is one situation where prevention is much better than cure.  With a very large amount of luck you might succeed, but the welfare of the deer will be a primary consideration.

Q.32.  I thought I would follow up and let you know that 3 days after I e-mailed you the fawn stood on her own.  This amazed me because she was unable to get up for two weeks, and I thought of euthanasing her on more than one occasion.  At this time, it doesn't look like I will be able to release her, however, I didn't think she would ever stand up again.  I plan on getting some radiographs to see if laminitis occurred with resulting damage and some blood panels.  I thought this follow up might give others who are dealing with animals with CM some hope that all don't result in fatalities.  You should see her trotting around!  Thank-you, Leah Whitesell

A.  It certainly sounds like the animal has PCM, and if so she is in deep trouble. There is no consistently successful treatment once this has occurred, although the approach that you are taking is often tried. This is one situation where prevention is much better than cure. With a very large amount of luck you might succeed, but the welfare of the deer will be a primary consideration.

Q.33.  My husband and I are having a discussion on whether deer mate for life or if a buck services many does.  Which is correct?

A.  Deer do not mate for life, with gregarious species generally mating a number of females in the breeding season.  Dominance amongst males is established by body size, antler size etc, with most males not reaching maturity in the wild until their 4th or fifth year.  How long they remain dominant will depend on their staying fit and free from injury.  Eventually they will be deposed by a younger, stronger male.

Q.34.  I have the following questions on stags that need answers. I would appreciate it if you could please help me by answering them.
  What are the physical characteristics of the stag?
  What are the methods of reproducing?
  Where will you find it in the food web?
  Where in the world are stags found?
  What is its habitat like?
  What is in its daily diet?

A. There are over 40 species of deer found all over the world, so it is quite difficult to answer your very general questions. All deer are ruminants, just like sheep and cattle, but their habits and social structure vary enormously.  They vary from the 5kg to the 600kg moose.  It should not be difficult for a library to find you some reading material on deer.  Let me know if you have difficulty locating this.

Q.35.   I am inquiring as to what would be the most suitable milk supplement to hand feed a several day old fallow deer.  Local rural suppliers have lamb/goat and calf milk supplements.  Would either of these be suitable to successfully raise it? Thanks, Richard

A. Based on what you have readily available a lamb/goat product will be OK.  Another useful formula has been a tin of Bear or Carnation milk mixed 50/50 with warm water, with an added egg yolk and multi-vitamin drops.  At about 2 -3 weeks you can then go on to a calf replacer like Denkavit and sheep or rabbit pellets ad lib.

Q.36.  We have about 1,800 head, every other day, 1 or 2 animals die.  Earlier we had some trypnosoma problem.  We have solved that problem.  Now our deer die due to pasteurella multocida.  What suggestions do you have to overcome this problem? We would appreciate it if you could please help us. Thank You.

A. This organism is very quick to take advantage of stressed animals - parasites, rough weather, social stresses (overcrowding etc), poor nutrition.  You may be able to use antibiotics and an autogenous vaccine to get out of trouble, but reducing the husbandry and other stresses imposed upon the herd is the best long term approach.

Q.37.   We have 70 pregnant rusa hinds who are due to fawn within the next 2 months we are wanting to move them into a paddock where the feed is green and new for 3 weeks.  Will this be too stressful when we move them back into the other paddock where the grass is longer and there is more protection?  This is our first fawning and we are quite nervous about getting it right.  I there anything in particular we should be doing?

A. It is always best to have the females well and truly settled in the calving paddock well before the first one is due - late changes can be stressful.  Your plan does sound OK, but once calving starts you cannot really move the group about without a risk of mismothering - it's easy to leave very young calves behind, unless the dams can get back to find them through open gates.  Calving paddocks must have adequate shelter and shade so that the hinds find a quiet place to have the calf, and then so the young calf can easily find shelter between sucklings.  Try not to disturb them too much during the calving period, but if they know you well and are familiar with your being in the paddock you can go in each day and keep an eye out for dystocia etc without any dramas.

Q.38. We have had a hard winter and a person I know has been feeding primarily white bread to a small group of deer that come to their yard each night.  Is this causing more harm than good to the deer?

A. Small amounts of white bread cannot do any harm, but if a single deer were to eat anything more than a few slices of brad there is always the potential for life-threatening lacticacidosis.  It is certainly not wise to put out large amounts because you cannot control how much each deer might eat.   You can kill them with kindness if you are not aware of this risk.

Q.39.  We have planted some leucaena trees as a part of our pasture regime for the future. Is it necessary to have deer inoculated with the bacteria to digest this plant, as we have read that cattle and sheep require this?

A. I am not aware of any need to inoculate deer as you suggest.  I believe that if they do choose to eat this plant that they will alter their gut flora as a matter of course.

Q.40.  I am interested in having answers to the following questions regarding the raising of deer:
1. What is the reproductive age/period of male and female deer (elaphus) raised in captivity?  We have a male who is 9-10 years old.  We intend to sell him and buy another one. Would anyone still be interested in a deer of this age?  As for the females, we have several born in 1991.  Is their reproductive lifecycle almost finished?
2. Information regarding consanguinity among deer: What are the acceptable limits without there being negative consequences (genetic problems resulting in health problems, body mass).  With what regularity should a male deer be replaced so as not to create any such problems?  Thank you for an information that you are able to provide.

A. Your 10-year-old stag's best years are behind him, but he could certainly still achieve conceptions for several years yet if he is fit and well.  He may not be able to cover as many hinds as he would have done in his prime, but I guess it would depend on how much a potential buyer was seeking his genes.  Your old hinds are very much in the same position - if they are fit they can certainly still conceive, with many farmed hinds breeding for up to 15 years and beyond.  Intensive inbreeding can bring out deleterious traits and it is a good idea not to stay with a single stag for too many years.

Q.41.   I was just wondering what the small, oval shaped holes, beneath the eyes on each side of a deer’s head were? Do they have any special purpose?

A. These are the preorbital glands, which are more prominent in some species than others, eg. Sambar deer have very large glands.  These are one of several glands on the deer's body, which have a variety of pheromonal functions to do with marking territory etc.  If a deer becomes very distressed or angry it might flare these preorbital glands quite noticeably.

Q.42.  I am a 14 yr-old doing a school project and I would like to know under what climate conditions could we raise high quality deer, types of food required to raise healthy deer, how to feed deer, the annual breeding cycle, stages of the production and major health problems.

A.  That is quite a lot of information you are seeking.  I am going to suggest that you go to the RIRDC Website http://www.rirdc.gov.au/ and click on "Deer" in Emerging New Industries.  If you look through the various sections there you will find the answers to most of your questions. Also click on the link to "Deer Industry Association of Australia" which also has some useful information. Good luck with your project.

Q.43.  I sent you an e-mail a couple weeks ago about trimming my Fallow doe's toes.  I asked about using Acepromazine 25mg to sedate her and asked if that was a good one to use for a yearling Fallow and how to know the proper length to leave the toes.  I haven't found the answer yet but noticed you updated today on your web site.  I really need to take care of this, could you please respond?  You can e-mail me direct if you'd like.  I read that rocks should be put around the water tank and that will help keep the hooves short and I will do that but she needs them trimmed anyway.  Thank-you for any help you can give me.  Deb Fuller

A.  My apologies for the delay in responding. It has been my experience over many years with fallow deer that their hooves rarely ever need trimming but it may be that you have a problem if the toes do appear to be excessively long.  If you really do believe that this is the case, using ACE will help to get the job done.   It is not a particularly effective tranquilliser once the animal is agitated, but if all goes well it should help a little.  Do not cut too far back -you do not want to open the sensitive laminae inside the hoof.  If the deer is getting normal exercise in a fairly large enclosure the feet really should not get into too much trouble.

Q.44.  We have been raising a week old fawn since we found her without a mother 10 days ago. She was lethargic and dehydrated when we found her.  The vet treated her IVT, an antibiotic and amino magic?  A few hours later and she was fine she was taking fluids (goats milk about 400ml a day) eating grass, walking and crying out.  This was short-lived (5 days).  This afternoon she was having a convulsion in the yard- she was cold (even though it is a warm day).  She has again had IVT, selenium, and iron IM and appeared to be picking up.  1 hour later she began to fit for 1.5 hours when she stopped fitting and went into a comma - like state.  We are thinking of sending her for an autopsy as we have lost 6 fawns to date this season, another which we found abandoned and died of similar symptoms 3 days later.  Do you have any clues? We are new at this and are concerned that they are lacking something.  We have 30 other healthy looking fawns on the ground.  Thanks

A. The best advice that I can give you is to submit this animal for necropsy.  Only by doing so can you properly establish the cause of these problems.  There is no room for guesswork if you have lost other fawns before this one.  It could be a disease like necrobacillosis but only a necropsy can confirm this.

Q.45. Can you tell me what should a deer be wormed with, how much to use, and how old does it need to be before worming it? My deer is healthy just wanted to know if there was a worming program to go by.

A. If you are raising a single deer there should be no need for worming.  If it does develop any signs as it ages you can get a faecal egg count done by a vet before deciding if treatment is required.

Q.46.   We have a week old fawn that we are currently feeding calf supplement and she appears to be thriving, gaining weight and strength.  2 days ago her bowels started forming but today they appeared loose.  She has been getting more exercise and is very aggressive as to wanting to suck on my ear.  I just didn't want the bowels to get too loose and go into diarrhoea.  Would adding an egg yolk to her formula help?   And also should we start her on any type of solid foods?   She did start picking around at the grass and took a few nibbles.  Thanks for your help.  The web site is very helpful.

A. It is probably best not to make any changes in the diet at this stage, but if the fawn does develop diarrhoea then she will need oral fluids (eg. Lectade, Vytrate) in addition to the calf supplement.  Do not give her these fluids closer than 4 hours to a milk substitute feed, so that there is no interference with clot formation in the abomasum.  Do not take her off the supplement, and only use injectable antibiotics if there is a fever (above 39.5 degrees C).  They normally start picking grass in the second week, and you could offer her a daily amount of a calf meal as well as access to green grass.  She will take what she needs.  If the fawn does develop diarrhoea and is very sick and off feed you should consult your veterinarian.

Q.47.   I found a doe fawn snared in our fence 2 1/2 weeks ago.   I assume her to be approx.3 weeks of age now.  I have treated her leg (which was maggot infested) by keeping it very clean and using Furazone Ointment in the gash.  The swelling is down and does not appear to have any infection.  Healing nicely.  She does not seem to be gaining any movement below her hock, where the wound is, but gets around quite well on three legs.  She had been eating well up until this morning.  She usually eats 5-6 times a day and takes in about 800-1000ml.  Today she has eaten some clover, but has only consumed 500ml of milk in 2 feedings.  Her faeces was much harder and more pellet like also.  Although she appears to be fine, I am worried about her becoming dehydrated.  What is the minimum she should be taking in and should I keep all grasses away from her?   And should I be introducing her to water, or keep her only on her milk diet?  Should I force feed her?  Or is it common for them to go off of their feed occasionally?  She is my first attempt at raising a fawn and it does not appear to be a task that very many people are willing to take on in my area, especially with the attention that her wounded leg requires.  Any advice you are able to give me would be greatly appreciated. J. White.  P.S.  Your web site is amazingly informative!  You give advice honestly and it is easy to understand.  Thank you so much for your service!

A. From what you tell me she is probably coping quite well with what is a stressful and painful experience for her.  It may just be pain that has put her off her feed and that may only last a day or two - hard to say.  I don't think you should force-feed her just yet - that will only add to the stress.  She should have access to clean water and it's fine if she wants to nibble some grass.  If she stops drinking altogether that is when you should worry, and then take her to a veterinarian for a full assessment.  It does sound as though she could have a major problem with her leg, and if that does not improve then you should certainly have a vet look at her to see what chance she has of regaining full function.

Q.48.  Can you tell me what kind of worms a deer will get and if they can get the haemonchus contortus, better known as the barber pole worm?  Also what kind of wormer would kill the worms?

A.  Deer generally have their own collection of worms, although they are very similar to those found in livestock.  Barber's Pole worm has been reported in deer, but there is not a lot of information on just how much damage it does.  Any of the avermectin anthelmintics work fine, and the pour-ons are easy to use, if you do really need to treat a deer.

Q.49.  Hi.  I have a three-year-old black fallow deer that I bottle-raised.  He was castrated at 5 months of age and has not grown antlers. Recently, however, I have noticed that where his antlers should be, there a quite bony lumps.  Is this normal?  He is very friendly and is never aggressive but if his antlers start to grow I'm afraid I won't be able to keep him.  Also, during winter his coat is very shiny and my vet says he has never seen such a healthy deer before.  During the spring when he sheds his coat it becomes matted and quite ugly until the new summer coat appears.  Is there something I can give him to help shed the coat? 
Regards Rochelle 

A.  If he was castrated correctly at 5 months he will not grow antlers, and he should not become aggressive.  During shedding of the coat most deer look a little rough, but that is nothing to worry about. 

Q.50.  We have Rusa Deer and they appear to have a fly (like the one that hang around cattle) -small and stacks of them.  We have been agisting out part of our farm to cattle.  Is there a spray or something to put on them?  Also we have been feeding our deer since winter (no rain - no grass) a mixture of sorghum grain, molasses and a PHOS MIX supplement, as well as bales of green Rhodes grass - however their coats are terrible.  Their coats are patchy, lighter and the hair pull out easily- but only some of them seem to be like this.  Others are shiny and darker.  What are we doing wrong?  Thank-you. 

A.  Flies tend to be seasonal in their activities, and unless they are really bothering the deer I would not suggest using insecticides etc. - there are already enough chemicals in the environment.  It is not really possible from this distance to tell you with any certainty what is causing some of the deer to have coat problems, but I would strongly suggest a proper nutritional evaluation, including copper.  It is unwise to put out such minerals unless you have defined a deficiency state by testing. 

Q.51.  At what age do you worm a fawn?

A.  In the case of a fawn being reared on its own there is probably no need to use any worming program.  If at any stage the droppings become loose you should take a sample to a veterinarian for examination.  This may lead to a treatment being prescribed. 

Q.52. As a part of our winter-feeding, we presently give our Rusa molasses with sorghum.  We are considering changing to one of those pre-mixed molasses based supplements.  They have urea in them from which the high protein levels are obtained.  Are deer able to consume urea in a supplement like this?  Appreciate your website. 

A. No problems with urea in this form as long as you introduce it gradually over a week or so. 

Q.53.  I am studying to be a vet, and I am preparing a research paper on Physiology of Red Deer.  I am having some doubts about male red deer reproductive physiology and my question is: Does the ejaculation of male red deer take place in the vagina or in utero of the female red deer?  If you can help me with the answer, or if you know about somebody who could help me, would you be so kind to mail me back? 

A.  Ejaculation takes place in the vagina - the stag's penis cannot pass through the cervix of the hind. 

Q.54.  I was wondering if you could tell us what the maximum liveweight of an adult Jarvan Rusa would be.  Someone has said that a wild one hunted for trophy antler can weigh up to 200kgs.  We have adult males on our farm which have reached a maximum weight of 115kgs.  If this weight is possible why do wild deer weigh more than farmed? 

A. I have never heard of a Javan rusa stag reaching 200kg liveweight.  My belief would be that most do not exceed 140kg but an occasional animal might reach 160 kg.  Farmed deer on good nutrition should be able to match wild deer liveweights. 

Q. 55  My husband and I raised a California Black-tailed deer from about 1 week old.  She is now 5 months.  After releasing her into the wild, she came home about a month ago with a badly fractured left shoulder.  We tranquilized her and took her to the vet.  He was unable to repair the fx and removed the leg at the shoulder.  We took her home to recover, she had a very difficult and violent recovery from the anesthetic.  We kept her medicated with Torbugesic and later Banamine.  The would healed well.  Since the surgery she has rapid and labored respirations. (about 70), using her accessory resp. muscles.  She appears to have sore muscles.  She has a progressively worsening dry cough, and is refusing to ambulate more than absolutely necessary.  She grinds her teeth and times and groans.  We initially treated her with ivermectin and for pneumonia with LA 200 and Naxcel.  No improvement.  I believe she has CHF related to stress myopathy.  Do you feel with this info that this may be the case?  We have started her on dig and lasix.  What are the correct doses for a 16kg fawn?  Are there any long term POs safe to use for pain?  What are the chances of recovery?  Have there been any long term studies done?  We are crazy about this baby, but regret putting her through this.  Do you have any help to offer?  Thank you very much in advance.  Laurie

A. The unfortunate animal is obviously having a very bad time and I guess I have to say that you should seriously question whether you should put her through any more of this.  Only you can make that call though - she is in your hands.

Q. 56   Hi, I have recently aquired a fallow fawn, he was abandoned by his mum, I fed him cow colostrum and so far so good. I am unsure as to wether he is starting to get constipated. I am feeding him pure cows milk from a dairy. He is now 3 days old, up and about, quite bright although still a little wobbly on his legs. I have been toileting him with success, I noticed today that he stools are starting to form and he seems to be straining a little, but still passing just a little, is this because he is constipated, or just cause he is not needing to use his bowels as often? I have found your advise excellent to read and I do understand that so long as he does survive he will have a ring on him as soon as both his testicals are present. At what stage would you say he is out of the woods, or is this something that just cant be answered? .........Sue

A. Deer milk has a higher concentration of solids than cow's milk, so your young fellow will not do as well as he might if you altered his diet.  There are proprietary products like Wombaroo deer milk replacer but if you cannot get that readily a simple formula is to add an egg yolk to a can of Bear or Carnation brand concentrated milk.  Add 5-6 multi vitamin drops as well. Feed this for about 4 weeks and then change to a calf milk replacement powder like Denkavit, with access to green grass and a pelleted concentrate.

He probably is not constipated but if you thought he might be a dose of 5 ml of paraffin oil would help, given with a syringe.    Make sure he is swallowing - don't put any on the lungs.

Q. 57 Santa is now 5 days old. He has put on lots of condition and loves his yard outside during the day. Since he has improved so much using cows milk, from a dairy not a shop, would it still be wise to change? Would adding an egg as well as multi vitamins to his cows milk be ok? With the multi vitamins, which do I use, the ones suitable for humans? If possible I wish to use fresh products as apposed to powdered/packet products. My partners father has raised a deer on cows milk once so I was told and did very well. His faeces is soft again, of thick paste type. I had a large container of colostrum so I have been using this up, by still adding a little to his milk. His milk is also from a cow that had calved recently and the milk was still kept out of the vat...He is now drinking approx. 150ml every 4 hours...A big improvement as to when I got him, every 2 hrs with an eye dropper on the first night as he would not suckle.

A.  I am certainly reluctant to have you make a change if everything is going so well.  Perhaps try adding the egg yolk to the cow's milk, but if this appears to cause any change that you don't like then cease doing this. Human multi vitamin drops are fine.  And lots of TLC, which he is obviously getting.  He may not grow quite as fast on cow's milk but if he stays healthy that is what really matters.

Q. 58 Sorry to bother you again, but could you please tell me if there is a reason why my young deer keeps urinating on his bed? He has a corner in my lounge behind the table and chairs, which he picked out. Problem is he keeps peeing on his bed and I have to continually wash everything. He has a sleep, gets up has a pee and then lays back down to finish his sleep. He also sort of grinds his teeth occassionally, I know this can normally be a sign of something wrong in most animals but he seems perfectly fine and I have read somewhere its another way of comunication...He is now drinking around 150 - 200ml a feeding, every 4-5 hrs...

A.  I can honestly not give you a rational reason why he might be urinating on his bedding - I cannot recall seeing this behaviour.  Hopefully it will pass off with time.  Teeth grinding can mean abdominal pain, but if he is fit and well and passing normal faeces I would not worry about it.

Q. 59  >I have read your website which discusses the dangers of a hand raised buck that is not castrated.  At what age should I release the fawn back into the wild and if we do release him, will we still have a problem?  Will the fawn return to us (or other people) and cause harm - even if we don't put out feeders and feed the wild deer or him?

A. It is difficult to give you a precise answer because every situation and every animal is different.  If the fawn is already very tame and imprinted on humans then you can expect that to drive his behaviour if you try to turn him loose.You would expect him to stay around the area that he is familiar with, and he may not integrate with any wild deer that may be about.  He will not flee from human so will be more vulnerable to hunters, and he may become aggressive too. But not for certain - if he becomes  a little wary of humans then he will mostly move away I guess.

Q. 60 My question is pertaining to  a fawn that I am hand raising.  I am feeding goat milk replacer 2-3x daily. (which in the past has worked beautifully) I have two fawns, one of which has perfect stool the other has intermittent diarrhea. I am a veterinary technician  so I have taken 3 seperate stool samples into work and checked them.  I have found roundworms and preceded to treat with liquid panacur 4 days in a row,I also see what appears to me to be some sort of egg that is fairly circular with a opperculum at one end, though not every egg is uniform.  I am not sure if this is truly and egg of some sort or debris(spore)? Needeless to say I am concerned about the diarrhea worsening.  This is the fifth fawn I have raised so I do expect some loose stools now and again.  I have been mixing pumpkin filling into his milk 2x daily and using pedialyte also, sometimes it helps sometimes it doesn't.  He does however have a good appetite and appearance.  He is slightly weak in his rear legs comparitable to the other fawn.  His first bowel movements that he had when I got him were formed more than they are now. I have researched as much as I could and now I am hoping you can help me with any information you have.  Thank You  Stacey

A. You are pretty much on track with your management of this animal - not sure that I can add very much.  Your description of the "egg" does not ring any bells.  Any chance of a picture?

Q. 61 My problem is: Large number of hard antler stags that can't be put through a shed nor can I use backline cydectin for tick control, we have a bad problem with Queensland cattle tick.
Ques; I have found reference of successful use of 10ml ivermectin per 0.45kg corn for a feed of .45 kg per animal has removed ticks on whitetail deer in the US. there is Ivermectin oral for sheep and Cydectin oral drench. Any problems in using/trial these on deer given that death is the alternative for some of those badly affected. The reference to the whitetail trial does not give active ingredient strength but assume they just used Ivermectin oral. Assume also I would have to increase strength regarding recommended dose for body weight.

A. I have no personal experience of using these drugs off label in this way in deer, but for what it's worth we have been using injectable cattle ivermectin orally in dogs in indigenous communities, to treat sarcoptic mange.  It works very well at the cattle dose rate without any signs of toxicility - for what this is worth in your situation.  Extrapolation across species can be fraught with danger, and I take no  responsibility for making these comments. if something goes wrong.  One more thought - treat a small number and see what happens.  As you say, you have little to lose. 

Q. 61 I have a seven mth old Rusa female. I have raised her from day one,she's my mate,she frets when i'm not near and never leaves my side. In the last week she has gone blind, blue smokey look in the eyes, her eyes have a bad odour to them. Dolly (the deer) has a dry discharge coming from her nose hindering her breathing. I have tried to keep her nose & eyes clean but to no avail. Dolly has lost her appetite, drinks very little maybe due to her not being able to breathe properly. Dolly's daily routine has not changed, diet has not been changed, environment is unchanged. Approximately 2 months ago Dolly jumped out of a float travelling at about 80 klms an hour hitting the bitumen road damaging her hip & pelvis, cuts & grazes but no head injuries. Dolly was taken to the chiropractor 3 times to put her back in alignment. She was back to normal, running, eating, drinking well after 5 weeks. It has been 3 weeks since her last appointment and she has developed the above symptoms in the last week. Could the accident be the contributing factor to her condition or something she has eaten or is it symptomatic of Deers. Dolly is my baby, can you HELP....PLEASE

A. I am very much afraid that Dolly has malignant catarrhal fever (MCF), which is caused by a virus which is carried by sheep.  Are there any sheep in the vicinity, or has someone who handles sheep been in contact with Dolly?  Rusa deer are particularly susceptible to MCF, and the blindness is a classical sign.  There is no easy way to tell you that MCF is invariably fatal, which is rotten luck for you and for Dolly. The accident is not likely to be a direct cause but MCF can be precipitated by stress so maybe there is a connection.  I wish I had better news for you.

Q 62. My husband and his hunting buddy have a little question.. They have asked everyone they know and no one seems to know the answer, I thought that maybe you can help.. It might seem weird but now they have peaked my interest. The question is, when a male buck urinates does he swat like the dows or does he lift a leg like a male dog would do. If you could answer this for me, I know you would have made a long list of men very happy.

A. In 30 years I have never seen a male deer cock his leg.
 

Q. 63. We have a 14 year old red deer named Netty (we bought her off a man  who didn't want to send her to the abs as she is a pet), she is  extremely friendly and in calf.  As we are beef producers and not deer  breeders, I was wondering if you could give some advice on what to  look for in regard to her getting ready to calve.  She is definitely  in calf, she has a small size bag of milk and is quiet round and we've  felt it kick a couple of times when out feeding her.  She gets a  pasture diet of rye grass and clover along with some crushed grain and  hay.  We were advised to confine her (we are using unused cattle yards) in the days leading up to her calving which we have done. However, as we don't know exactly when she was joined, it is a guess that she will be calving soon. I guess what I am asking is, 1. Exactly how much milk do they get before calving, is it the same as a heifer, or a lot less? 2. What  tell tale signs are there that she might be going into labour? ( I read about the pacing etc, but she has always done this, she likes to see what humans are up to!)? and 3. Would it be that much of a problem if she did have the calf in the paddock? Look forward to reading your answers, thank you in anticipation. Catherine (Vic)

A. The behaviour of this tame hind may not be exactly the same at calving as in a less tame animal, but it will not be dramatically different either. In the later stages of gestation there is always the udder development and abdominal distention that you have noted, but it can be very difficult to predict the exact time of calving - some hinds seem to hang on for longer than you expect, and others get on with it quite quickly.  The first sign of impending calving would usually be sparaton from the group, and the seeking of a sheltered place for the birth.  The have evolved over a very long time to doing this without too much help from us, and in fact the more you leave them alone the better - I would certainly not lock her up. 
Put her in a paddock with some shelter, and do this now, so she has plenty of time to get used to it.  Keep up your daily routine of feeding her, so you can keep an eye on how she is going.   When she does start you may
well miss the whole thng - it all happens quite quickly.  Don't rush in and disturb her until the calf has suckled, since this first feed is an important part of the bonding process.  Calving dificulties are fairly unusual, although over fat, sedantary hinds are most at risk.  If she strains for more than 2 hours  there may well be  a need to assist her, but don't get involved too early.  If there is no malpresentation it may be relativly easy to deliver the calf with traction, using lots of obstetric lubricant.  If there is a problem with presentation it often results in a Caesarian, so get your vet involved in good time. She will almost certainly deliver a live calf with absolutely no help from you - just monitor her closely and don't fuss too much.  She will know what to do.

OVERSEAS

Q.1.  How is the current outbreak(s) of chronic wasting disease (the prion TSE) in the US and Canadian elk herds playing out in Australia?  Is there concern?   Should the disease be OIE Listed?  Have you developed import policy for animals and semen/embryos?  (Terry Whiting, Canada)

A.  Chronic Wasting Disease of Elk is not present in Australia and very strict protocols are in place to import genetic material from North America to Australia to prevent its entry. With these protocols in place the chance of transmission to Australia is very low. (Without full reference - I believe live animals are banned from importation).  If not already on the OIE list it should be listed ASAP.

Q.2.  I raise Whitetail deer in South-Central Texas.  I have had a little experience with EHDV or BTV.  Right now I have a 10 month old doe with fever, ranging between 103 and 105, small amount of foaming, congested lungs, greenish nasal drainage, lethargy, diarrhoea, and stiffness more than lameness that appears to be in the joints although they are not swollen. I am treating her with Nuflor and electrolytes.  She is better today than the last two days. Are there any other medications that you could recommend?  Can you give deer aspirin?  Any info you can give is greatly appreciated. (Theresa Johnston, USA)

A. The symptoms you describe do not appear to be consistent with EHDV.  The classical EHDV in White Tailed Deer is an acute haemorrhagic disease with death in a few hours.  There is no known treatment. At autopsy there is haemorrhages in most body organs including the lungs.  The froth and lung congestion you describe from you little one is suggestive of pneumonia and the stiffness may be an extension of the infection from the lungs through the blood to the joints.  The greenish nasal discharge is a major concern as this suggests that rumen contents may have been inhaled and is the cause of the pneumonia.  If this is the case the prognosis is not good.   I am not familiar with Nuflor but assume that is an antibiotic. I prefer the tetracycline family of antibiotics in deer.  I would refrain from using Aspirin and suggest you contact your Veterinarian for a check-up and (s)he will probably prescribe something for the joint problem.  Please keep me informed how your little one goes.

Q.3.  My other problem is there are not any vets in the area that specialise, or are interested in the deer business.  Most vets in this area just apply their knowledge of goats, horses, or cattle to the deer's disease.  Nuflor is the synthetic, broad-spectrum antibiotic florfenicol.  It is used in cattle for respiratory diseases associated with Pasteurella haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida and Haemophilus somnus.  The main reason I like this drug is that you inject every 48 hours.  I really don't feel she aspirated. Although I don't know what other reason she could have for the nasal discharge.  I also use LA 200(oxytetracycline) we have been also injecting it SQ. and IM to increase the on-board time and not have to inject as many times.  She is up and moving around more today.  Eating feed and leaves I bring her and keeping her temp. around 103.  One thing that puzzles me is that the end of her nose appears to have sloughed off and is pink.  At first I thought is was just that way from being so wet but you can see the raised black areas that haven't come off yet.  Strange don't you think?  Thank you for answering so promptly, I'm new with the computer and just stumbled on your page today.  How convenient. (Theresa Johnston, USA)

A. You are not alone in being without Veterinarians interested in deer.  Continue the antibiotics as described and see if you can get some Flunixil (Trade name here "Finadyne") to ease the pain in the joints.  I suspect the sloughing on the nose is from the constant irritation by the nasal discharge.  Whatever the cause there is little doubt in my mind that you have a severe case of pneumonia with secondary complications.  Keep up the medications as you are doing.

Q.4.  We castrate all the bucks we have except one for breeding.  The "neutered" bucks then grow a nobby, ugly mess of antlers, which they do not shed like the intact buck.  We are a zoo, so people always ask what the fungus-looking stuff is on their head.  We explain why, but is there something we can to prevent this from happening, or remove the antler with out causing them to bleed to death, or harming them?  We would like to keep the neutered bucks instead of having just does.  It looks really bad especially on deer that have been castrated later in life. (Edwina May, USA)

A. You have basically answered your own question.  Your problem arises from castrating your bucks too late in life.  You should castrate the fawns as soon as the testicles can be felt in the scrotum.  This will prevent any pedicle formation and hence any abnormal "velvet" production.  Castration of deer PRIOR to the development of the pedicle prevents the development of the pedicle and therefore no antlers ever grow.  Castration of older animals in velvet prevents fraying and the antlers are NEVER cast.  Castration when in hard antler causes the antlers to be cast in 1 to 2 weeks and in the subsequent year they are renewed but remain in permanent velvet.  They grow slightly each year.  The answer then is to castrate as early as possible to pedicle and velvet production.

Q.5.  Thank you so much for your information and quick response.  It is great to know someone out there knows about fallow deer.  Our local vets can't even figure this out.  My question now is, is there anyway of removing the antler growth that is already there on the neutered bucks without harming them?  Can the whole antler be removed and not grow back?  We will castrate the very young bucks now, BEFORE the growth starts.  Thanks again. You are a great help.  (Edwina May, USA)

A. You still have the problem that the bucks castrated late in development will have a pedicle.  Each year they will attempt to produce a form of velvet that will NOT shed.  Hence your problem with the knobs on the heads.  I would suggest you remove these castrates from your park and replace with bucks (fawns) that are castrated EARLY.

Q.6.  I have had several adult deer with what appears to be a lump, hard bone, on the jaw. Two does that died where taken to the state lab. where they isolated actinomyces bovis.  MI state diagnostic lab. has referred to these growths as osteomas.  I had one mature buck with this last fall.  The vet treated it with long acting penicillin- but I see no change.  He is still healthy, but now with growths on both sides of the jaw.  I also have a few other does that appear to be starting some growth.  Any ideas as to what this may be and how to treat it?  I have a squeeze that I can use to apply any medication needed. Thanks. (Ray Hanson, USA)

A.  Ray, your animals are suffering from actinomycosis, which is called "lumpy jaw" by Australian cattlemen.  I am not sure if this term is used in the States.  It is a fairly common condition in cattle, and is much less commonly reported in deer.  However, when it does occur in deer it is identical to the cattle disease.  The most common lesions are found in the bones of the face and jaw, with eventual destruction of the bones.  In some animals there may be soft tissue lesions in the throat or stomachs, which can cause various gastrointestina symptoms - recurrent bloat, indigestion etc.  This is not an easy condition to treat because the bones are so badly damaged, and advanced cases usually require euthanasia on animal welfare grounds.  Early cases can be treated by a veterinarian, with some degree of success.  However, the condition can flare up again after an apparently successful treatment.  It seems that parts of your farm may have a high level of contamination with the A. bovis.  Animals with discharging sinuses are the main source of environmental contamination with the organism, and this can lead to problems if they share feed troughs etc with healthy deer.  It is my strong suggestion that you cull all affected deer now, rather than waiting for the problem to advance to the stage where you will be forced to cull them anyway.  It would make sense to find a local veterinarian who is familiar with the condition in cattle.  Talk to him/her about early treatment of any new cases, which you might have.

Q.7.  I have a 3 year old buck that seems immune to the highest dose of Xylazine possible. Any suggestions as far as alternative drugs eg Detomidine or Butorphanol? Any mixed anaesthetic combinations possible for such an animal?  Any insights would be appreciated.  (Kurt W Kiessling, USA)

A. I would not use xylazine alone to immobilise fallow or chital deer in the open, and I am sure that the same would apply to WTD.  I presume that the most readily available option would be to use xylazine/ketamine at 4 mg/kg of each IM (half this dose rate if IV in a chute).  The xylazine can be reversed with yohimbine, but do not use this IV within 30 minutes of induction to avoid adverse ketamine reactions.  If you give the yohimbine IM it will take about 45 minutes to act, and in that time the effects of the ketamine should not be a problem.  If you have access to carfentanil (Wildnil) this is very effective with xylazine at 1.0 ug/kg and 0.5 mg/kg respectively, reversed with naltrexone and yohimbine.

Q.8.  Are deer like cattle with multiple stomachs? (Billy Lafleur, USA)

A. Deer are ruminants just like cattle, with essentially the same type of digestive system.
There are in fact some variations in the proportions of each stomach between cattle and deer, and within the deer family.  This does result in some differences in their dietary preferences, eg. browsers versus grazers.

Q.9.  How young can a fawn be when giving a TB test? (Scott Wood, USA)

A. It would not be usual to Tb test a fawn under 6 months of age.

Q.10.  White Tail - I have a doe with one runny nose and on the same side below its eye it is swelled, what can I do? (Mark Pleswsinger, USA)

A. It is almost impossible to tell you what this might be without seeing the animal.  For example, it could be the result of an injury.  I strongly suggest that you have a veterinarian examine the deer if the problem does not resolve itself within a week or so.

Q.11.  I had two deer die from unknown cause and when I had the veterinarian perform an autopsy his conclusion was they died from trauma & stress.  I later found out that while I was out of town, two dogs were trying to get into the pen (160'x160') for about two hours before my neighbour chased them away.  He said they were going crazy running around trying to get out.  Are there any books or articles that cover this type of trauma & stress? (John E. Horch, USA)

A. The damage done by this type of dog attack is always severe, and usually untreatable.
It is referred to by a number of names, but most commonly is called post-capture myopathy (PCM).  Any form of severe exertion, accompanied by terror as in a dog attack, will induce the biochemical and physical changes, which are seen with PCM.  Not allowing it to happen in the first place is really the only way to deal with it.  There are many places to find a reference to PCM, but one of the most accessible for you would be the book "Farming Wapiti and Red Deer" by Jerry Haigh and Bob Hudson (1993), published by Mosby.  The Animal Health Chapter has a section on PCM on page 188.

Q.12.  What is the gestation period for white tail deer? (Jerry Jett, USA)

A. The gestation period for WTD is usually given as 200 days, but apparently this can vary with the subspecies in question (range 186 to over 220).

Q.13.  What are the names of antlers in order or points in order? Something like G1 OR G2. (Clarence Bruder, USA)

A. My knowledge of some aspects of WTD is rather limited, based on little opportunity to work with the species in this part of the world.  I understand from a Canadian colleague that the points are named as G1, G2, G3 etc starting with G1 nearest to the head (equivalent to the brow tine in most other deer species).  But there is apparently a rather complex scoring system, which depends on whether you are scoring a wild deer or a farmed one.  There are also two types of antler - typical and non-typical.  I suggest you talk to someone local with a better knowledge of this than I have.

Q.14.  The state vet came in to do our Tb. test and after using Telazol four of our deer are dead.  Should Telazol be used on deer?  And if so how many cc's should be used? (Greg Gondella Jr., USA)

A. When deer die as a direct result of immobilisation it is usually not as a result of the choice of drugs or the dosage of drugs, since most have a reasonable margin of safety.  It is more likely that the deer were stressed before or during the immobilisation, which places them at much greater risk of having a problem when they are immobilised.  It is always important to recognise when this is likely to happen, and to defer use of drugs until another day, when the deer are calm.  Telazol has been used quite successfully for white-tailed deer at a dose rate reported between 4 to 11 mg/lb, which confirms the margin of safety.  It is not used much in Australia for deer, but it is widely used in our native fauna, as a matter of interest.

Can I also comment that your problem illustrates the fact that there is never a total absence of risk when immobilising deer, even for experienced operators?  It is far safer to develop proper handling facilities with a chute, so that routine procedures like Tb testing do not require chemical restraint.

Q.15.  What are the testing requirements to bring a deer from Canada to the U.S. and the reverse? (Jim Severt, USA)

A. From way down here in Australia I cannot claim to be up to date with the testing requirements for deer crossing the US-Canada border.  You should be able to get this information quite readily from any USDA office, or from the North American Deer Farmers' Association.  I do know that there are a number of diseases that are of current concern, particularly tuberculosis and more recently chronic wasting disease in elk, but I do not have current access to the exact test protocols which are required. Let me know how you go.

Q.16.  What is used for worming? (Melody Olaker, USA)

A. The most commonly used worm treatments used in deer would be the pour-on compounds "Cydectin" (Cyanamid) and "Ivomec Eprinex" (MSD-Merial). These are effective against both bowel worms and lungworm.

Q.17.  I raise both white tail and red deer I have a 5-year-old stag that walks with his head tilted. He is eating and seems to be getting along all right.  Has he got a central nervous disorder?  If so, is there any treatment or if not, can he be butchered? Thank you, Dennis Parker (Minnesota, USA)

A.  A common cause of head tilting in all species is a middle ear infection.  This may respond to antibiotic treatment, so why not talk to your local veterinarian.  If he does not respond you could butcher him - after waiting for the withholding period for any drugs used. He may even recover without treatment, but only time will tell.

Q.18.  Can you explain a bit more about necrabacilosis (lumpy jaw, foot rot, etc)?   Is it a product of overcrowding?  Other than overcrowding can one generally say it is caused by herd mismanagement?  Does a foot lesion have to be present for it to take hold as foot rot?  Why do newly weaned fawns seem so susceptible to this problem?  Can necrabacilosis actually be treated and cured, or does it lay dormant in the animal until a new stress comes along such as fawning, farm to farm movement, etc?  What is the recommended best treatment for animals that show these symptoms in the foot or neck or face?  Very interested in your opinions on this matter.  Thank you for taking the time to answer, Tara-Lynn Barks (Canada).

A. Necrobacillosis has been a disease of some concern to fallow deer farmers, causing significant losses in young deer on some farms.  The organism Fusobacterium necrophorum is a great opportunist, and can be a problem for many species of animals, including free-living wildlife.  Certainly many severe outbreaks are linked directly to poor husbandry and poor hygiene - this is often so with hand reared cattle calves in poor conditions.  With farmed fallow deer this is not usually such an obvious contributing factor, although it could be in some cases where young deer are overstocked and underfed.  It may often be that there are high levels of contamination in the environment and the bacteria enter through small wounds in the mouth or feet.  Many young fawns die quite quickly from septicaemia, without showing lameness or any other specific signs of infection.  Some die with brain infection - easily detected by a necropsy.  Newly weaned fawns are under stress and so would tend to be more susceptible at that time - especially in the face of heavy environmental contamination.   Early cases can be treated successfully with antibiotics, but many die too quickly to be able to treat them.  Any broad-spectrum antibiotic is usually OK - eg trimethoprin complex. There was a vaccine available for a time, and there was work to develop a new one - it may be available where you are.  Ask a local veterinarian.

Q.19.  We have one of our farm raised buck fawns losing his hair and it seems like one of the other bucks is chewing on him.  The hair seems to pull out quite easily.  Is this a copper deficiency or something else?  Joey Lethbridge (USA).

A. This does not sound like copper deficiency, but perhaps you should talk to your veterinarian about doing some tests to rule it out.  Do not administer copper without confirming a deficiency state - you can easily produce copper toxicity.  It is much more likely to be the result of social dominance behaviour by the other buck.

Q.20. I am doing a research paper on Red Deer.  I would like information on how they mate, sexual active, parenting, copulation, male and female roles in selecting a mate If you have any information it sure would be helpful. Thank you. Travis

A. Red deer have been very intensively studied as a species, both in the wild and on farms.  The definitive reference for wild deer is "Red Deer: Behaviour and Ecology of Two Sexes" by Clutton-Brock et al (1982) (ISBN 0 85224 446 0).  This is a superb account of the deer on the island of Rhum, and should be red by every deer person.  Many others have studied the species - eg.  Gerald Lincoln, Geoff Asher (better known for his work on fallow deer I guess) so it is much harder to give a single reference for farmed deer.  The book "Farming Wapiti and Red Deer" by Jerry Haigh and Bob Hudson (1993)(ISBN 0-8016-7687-9) would be a good start, but there are many others.  Good luck.

Q.21. I am a Deer farmer in The United States and have a 1988 copy of Diseases of Deer.  I am looking for an updated version of this publication.  I have found the information very helpful in raising my deer, but several of the medications are out of date or not available.  Also I am sure there are quite a few new advances in the health care aspects of Deer raising that might be in a newer publication.  Thank you very much, Theresa Johnston (USA)

A. I am glad that he 1988 publication has been useful, but unfortunately it was from a one-off conference and there are no later editions.  We have certainly learnt a lot more about deer since those days, and much has been published in a wide variety of books, conference proceedings and scientific papers. You might find the following of interest:
1."Farming Wapiti and Red Deer" by Jerry Haigh and Bob Hudson (1993) published by Mosby (ISBN 0-8016-6787-9)
2. "Diseases of Deer" by A.W. English (1988) published by the Post-graduate Foundation in Veterinary Science, University of Sydney (Vade Mecum Series A, Number 11)
3. "Diagnosis of the Diseases of Deer" (1992) also written by myself and also published by the PGF (Vade Mecum Series B, Number 16)
Both the PGF books can be ordered from the Foundation on howeywp@pgf.usyd.edu.au. There are many other good references, but these might make a start in building your deer library.

Q.22. I recently heard that deer antlers are made from the calcium that deer eat.  It was explained that the body of a deer needed to expel excess calcium and antlers was the method it used for this process.  If this is true, then why do female deer not have antlers?

A. You are correct in saying that the calcium in antlers is the same as in bones, and the way in which the animals put it all together is quite remarkable.  However, it is not correct that the antlers are used to expel excess calcium.  The deer is able to resorb calcium from long bones to supplement the calcium taken in as a part of the diet, in growing and hardening a set of antlers each year. This process of resorption is called  "physiological osteoporosis".  Dietary calcium is still very important, and the final size of antlers each year can be affected by under-nutrition.  That is, the deer will have a certain genetic potential for antler size, and the degree to which this potential is achieved depends on environmental factors  - largely diet.

Q.23. I am not a deer farmer, I am involved with Wildlife Rehabilitation on Long Island NY.  I have been rehabilitating fawns since 1988.  I am seeing an increasing number of fawns born blind.  I was wondering if you have any insight on this problem.  I took one of the fawns to a Veterinary ophthalmologist and he said that the optic nerves were frayed.  Any input you can give me would be appreciated.  I have been a vet tech for 14 years and this is getting to me. There must be a solution.  Thanks in advance for any help you can give me (USA)

A. I wish that I could give you an easy answer to the problem that you describe, but I cannot do so from this distance.  There are going to be local issues of environmental and animal health that only a thorough and close investigation on the ground is likely to provide any answers for.  It really depends on issues like what proportion of the fawns are affected, are there differences between localities, years etc and are there any known or suspected toxic or other problems that might link in.  There are probably no simple answers.

Q.24. I found a baby white tailed fawn whose mother was killed by a car.  I think she is pretty new.  I talked to someone who said she needed goat’s milk.  I bought canned goats milk.  I was mixing it one can milk one can water, then I found out it was too strong, mix one can milk two cans water.  She seems like she is doing fine but she has diarrhoea.  I clean her with warm paper towels, but she goes on her own all the time.  She also will get up and walk around a while then she goes to her bed and goes to the bathroom and sleeps in it.  What can I do for the diarrhoea?  Should I still help her go to the bathroom and how often?  Is this normal for her to go to the bathroom in her bed?  (USA)

A. It is quite a specialised task to raise an orphaned new born fawn, and when they get into the difficulties that you describe you really should take it to a veterinarian for appropriate diagnosis and treatment.  Otherwise it will almost surely die.

Q.25. I am looking for a product to use to "dry up" the milk in an 11 yr old doe.  We bottle-feed her fawns but she always carries the milk for at least 2 months after we pull the fawns.  This year, she seems much more uncomfortable and fuller with milk.  Is there anything that we can give her to dry up the milk?  Thank you.  Lisa Kuhn, Pennsylvania

A. There is really nothing that I would recommend apart from perhaps cutting back on the doe's feed a little, to help her dry off naturally.  I guess this is the consequence of your deciding to bottle-feed fawns from a healthy female, so I would be reluctant to interfere with nature even more by using a drug.

Q.26. I work at a petting zoo and we recently had a male deer born.  We would like to keep him but what are the problems with castrating the males and will castrating them keep them from being aggressive? (Minnesota USA)

A.  If you castrate this fawn prepuberally he will not grow antlers and he should not become aggressive.  In other words, he must be castrated before he develops antler pedicles, which is probably best done no later than 4-6 months of age.  Make certain that he is vaccinated against tetanus before he is castrated.  However, even very tame castrates do occasionally become a problem, so you will need to watch him.

Q.27.  I have a fawn that is 4 days old.   We found her with fly larva on her bottom and navel.  She has one very cloudy eye and the other is half-cloudy.   She appears to be blind.  What could have caused the problem of the eye?  Can her eyesight be saved?  Thanks Mrs. D.

A. If the fawn was flyblown, as you describe, it has clearly been through a tough time.  The cloudiness that you describe is due to the same sort of problem.  Almost certainly it began with traumatic damage to the surface of the eye, resulting in a condition called keratitis. This condition usually responds to treatment without causing permanent damage to the eye.  A veterinarian can prescribe appropriate medication if this is required.

Q.28.  Can venison be frozen and thawed and frozen again without fear of bacterial contamination?

A. This would not generally be considered a good idea - there would be a risk.

Q.29.  I have a pet fallow buck (age approximately 4-5 years) that has been with me for 3 years.  When in hard antlers or the rut, he is aggressive with my other animals.  He's never injured anyone, but I am very concerned about it.  If I have him castrated, can I expect him to be become less intimidating?  I read on this site that when castrated in later years, they get a growth that looks weird.  I wonder if you know of a website where I could look at a castrated older buck to see what they look like.  My buck will be shedding his antlers within a couple of weeks.  Is there a "best" time to have an older buck castrated; i.e. without antlers, in velvet, in hard antlers?  Are there other ways of reducing aggressiveness other than castration?  Thank you for your response.   Jan (USA)

A.  Dear Jan, I am afraid that you are confronting an extremely difficult problem.  Any hand raised buck eventually becomes aggressive, and has the potential to very seriously injure or even kill people - not just your other animals.  Castration of an adult male results in the development of what is called a perruque head, in which the antlers stay in permanent velvet but continue to grow each year, with bizarre shapes developing - quite unlike normal antlers.  It does not matter a which stage the castration is done.  There is no guarantee that castration will change his behaviour - once acquired the aggression often does not go away.  You are going to have to decide whether you can take the risk of someone being very badly hurt, as will almost certainly occur in time.  I am afraid the only alternative that is reliable is to get rid of him.

Q.30.  How long is a deer’s gestation period? If you could e-mail me as soon as possible that would be great. Thanks, Derek.

A. The gestation length of Cervidae varies with the species, between 7.5 and 9 months.

Q.31.  How long is a deer’s life span?  If I saw a deer in the woods could I run up to it and jump on it and start yelling "cornilius!"?   Thanks, Derek.

A.  It might be difficult to jump on a deer - they can run faster than you can.  Deer usually live to about 10-12 years of age in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.

Q.32.  We are new to the deer farming and we've been raising deer for 3 years now.  Day before yesterday we had a doe who gave birth to 1 fawn, it nursed at first but yesterday and today she wont go near it, or let it nurse, it seems to go potty by itself.  Of course we wipe it clean and stimulate it to pee, but the stool is solid white and the smell is terrible, any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated. (Burton Anderson)

A. Diarrhoea in new born animals is usually due to infection with a combination of organisms, and the fawn is much more likely to die if it did not get adequate colostrum from the mother in the first 24 hours.  This seems very likely in the situation that you describe. Urgent treatment with fluids and electrolytes may save the animal's life, and you should seek veterinary attention immediately.

Q.33.  My friend and I were talking about deer the other night.  I am not really sure how the argument began but it was over the following question.  Can you please help?   Do any female deer (does) have antlers?  I really appreciate your help with this. (Maggie, Cartersville, Ga. USA)

A. The only deer species in which both sexes have antlers are reindeer and caribou.

Q.34.  We have been struggling on our deer farm with something that sounds like lumpy jaw.  Is it possible to get the e-mail address of (Ray Hansen USA) so we can ask him specifically about the symptoms and what success he has had in treating it? (Victor Greenfield)

A. I am afraid that I cannot help you with an address for Ray Hansen.  Lumpy Jaw is not difficult to diagnose - any competent large animal veterinarian can do that.  It is not so easy to treat, once advanced cases have the bones destroyed by the infection.  Very early cases might respond to treatment, although they often recur later.

Q.35.  I recently found an orphaned or abandoned white-tailed deer on my property a couple of days ago.  He is probably about 2-3 days old.  I have been feeding him Land-O-Lakes replacement milk and trying to "sneak" in some concentrated vitamins & electrolytes in his milk (he does not like them).  I am also giving him a dose of Lactic Acid Bacteria (5 g).  How often should I give the bacteria?  He is also having a little trouble walking on his front legs. I don't think that he has developed that muscle up yet.  Any suggestions or will the figure it out on his own.  I also have the problem of him lying in his own urine. Is this something that fawns do, or do I need to correct this behaviour?  Should I just concentrate on feeding him milk & vitamins?  I am trying to feed him every 4 hours, but sometimes he just won't take any milk.  How many ounces should I feed him at each feeding?  When should I introduce solid food and what kind?  I also noticed that in previous e-mails that hand raised male fawns become aggressive bucks.  Is there any way to prevent this?  When should I try to reintroduce my deer back into my woods?  What should I be teaching him to survive, or do I have a pet deer on my hands?  I know that I have too many questions to answer.  Is there a website or a book that can answer my numerous questions? (Michelle Dotson, USA)

A.  I am sorry not to have replied earlier - I have been away.  By now I guess the fawn is either doing well or dead.  It sounds like he was quite weak to begin with, and that makes it a great challenge for you to get him started.  If he is unable to stand, and lying in his urine, those are not the signs of a well fawn.  I would not worry too much about lactic acid at this stage, just focus on feeding him little and often until he is strong.  Every 4-6 hours is about right.  Try adding an egg yolk to the milk replacer, and the vitamins are OK too.

Q.36. I took in an orphaned whitetail buck who was about 1 day old.  His first two feedings were goat colostrums and then fresh goat’s milk from a bottle.  He has been doing great.  One BM per day when I massage his rectum and he is now peeing on his own, and taking the milk heartily.  Currently he gets 5oz of fresh goat’s milk every 4 hours.  Today he had diarrhoea.  What do I need to do?

A. He will need extra fluid and electrolytes, but keep him on full strength goat's milk at the same time.  The fluids (eg. Lectade or Vytrate) should be given as a warm drink no closer than 4 hours to a milk feed.   If he does not respond quickly you should consult a local veterinarian.

Q.37.  I have a 5-week old doe that has been doing great up until today.  Today she is unable to stand up and has slight temp and slight runny nose.  She does not appear to be sick but has these symptoms.  She has been very active and healthy up until now.  I have had her for 4-wks and this is my first problem with her.  Please get back to me with an answer as soon as you can, as I am very concerned.  Sincerely, Sharon Hardesty.

A. There are significant limitations to what can be achieved with long range diagnosis.  It would not be responsible of me to offer you advice in this case, since your fawn could be suffering from a number of possible problems.  Only a careful clinical examination can reveal