New Farmer. We have 5 does and one buck. We bottle raised all of them. Two does will be having fawns this spring and we plan on bottle feeding them. My question is can the fawns be bottle feed and still have interaction with their mothers as babies. Our fawn pen is adjacent to the doe pens. Thanks Bill
Joined Oct 2014
103 Posts | 0+
Garrettsville, OH
If there young does first time breeding and real calm. I'd let them raise the fawns. Less work for you and they get that experience with just the two of them fawning. As for interaction with mom if bottle fed I'd let mom dry out by then fawn should be big enough to be in pen with mom. I want my fawns running to me when I shake there bottle before cutting loose to bigger pens.
Joined Oct 2014
103 Posts | 0+
Garrettsville, OH
Just thought of this. Our first year we put a 3 ft fence up inside our one pen for the fawns. Mom and the other does would jump in and out of there as they pleased to check out the fawns.
Joined May 2009
204 Posts | 0+
St. Ignace, Northern Michigan
If you let the moms do the feeding It would help if they are tame enough to be there petting the fawns as they nurse. Tried it one year and the fawns turned as tame as the bottle fed ones, but you have to do the bonding as they nurse.