Bottle Baby Deer

During birthing periods through out the year, Bottle baby deer are available for sale. Please call in advance because, due to the breed of the deer, babies are available only at certain times of the year. We sell only female bottle babies as a male baby when grown can turn on you. Deer make wonderful pets and depending on the breed can be extremely loving.

It is wise to bring a pet carrier with a towel or lined with hay for the ride home. The fawns are very scared the first few days. We usually keep fawns in a pet carrier in the house for the first few weeks, and depending on the weather they are then moved to an outside pen. We recommend at least a 4 ft. fence until 12 weeks of age and then a 9-10ft fence from then on.

Bottle baby deer are fed a goat milk replacer, that is found at many feed or farm stores. Feeding requires a baby bottle with a rubber nipple, we recommend Pritchard Flutter Valve Nipples. The container of milk replacer will tell you how to mix the formula. It is recommended to mix a big batch and store it in a container in the refrigerator.

We start our fawns out on a 4 hour feeding schedule. It is very important that these fawns are fed at least 6 times per day for the first few weeks. Start with an ounce of formula. For feedings we placed in a towel in your lap or in your arms if needed. Some will stay lying down during feeding. Just remember, this can be a trying time for your fawn, as it takes time to get used to eating from a bottle. After a few days the fawn should get the hang of it. It is advisable to add 1-2 tablespoons of plain yogurt to each bottle to prevent diarrhea, diarrhea can be fatal to a fawn.

It is not commonly known that after every feeding you must wipe the deer's behind to stimulate urination and defecation. It is mandatory that this is done. Fawns cannot use their bodily functions on their own until about 4-6 weeks of age. They can easily become septic and die if the wiping is not done. We have placed our fawns in a Rubbermaid tub with a newspapers lining and have used paper towels to wipe their bottom. This of course is done after every feeding.

At about 12 weeks of age you can wean the fawn from the bottle. We started offering deer pellets and water in a bowl from week 3 on. She began eating solids at about 8 weeks of age. We also feed clover hay, corn and soybeans to supplement her diet.

A common bottle feeding schedule is as follows:

• Week 1 - 2 ounces every 4 hours (force feeding as necessary)
• Week 2 - 2 ounces 6 times a day
• Week 3 - 8 ounces 2 times a day
• Week 4 - 16 ounces times a day

Every deer is different and adjustments may need to be made. The main problem with bottle feeding is the overfeeding of the fawns. All deer farmers do things differently; we have found this system to be what works for us.