This is gonna be my first time catching fawn for bottle feeding , what do i need to exspect ? i have two doe s that are tame and two that are not tame at all . Is this gonna be a battle or what ? I plan to catch them day one to give fawn gel , and then return to mother for a day then recatch to start on the bottle . Any tips on what i need to do. 573-205-1328 Thanks jamie
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Just keep an eye on the does you will know when they are ready to freshen. Make sure mom has ample time to do her thing with them. I have never had a fawn be able to out run me at three days old...Most of them just sit tight when you come up to them.
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You need a Kevlar vest ,riot shield,paintball mask and a cattle prod 10,000 volts!! Not really . The hair standing up and out on the doe if that little bugger squalls will equally get your attention. I've never had any close calls yet! A fawn stand helps. She is able to see her baby and your standing up. Not bent or kneeling in a vulnerable position. I try to hurry up and still get it all done. Its stressful on everybody.
I would make sure you mow the pen about a week or so before they're do. You will be amazed at how well they can hide in 8 inches of clover. I usually leave some strips of cover about 6 feet wide so I give them a place to feel secure but still I'm still able to find them. If you can check the pen with somebody you are less likely to have a problem with the mama doe kicking you while your bent over. I have only had one doe challange me when I reached down to pick up the little squealing fawn but I had my son with me and he alerted me to the problem and she backed off.
I use a ring of 4' high woven wire . It is about 6 feet in diameter. Get inside and pick it up and walk up to a fawn and set it down over it. Now you can turn your back on mama and be calm and collected doing your thing with the baby, shots ,tags , ect. When you are done you can just push it out from under the bottom of the wire and let it rejoin mother and leave you to retreat in peace. Works for me. Jim
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On day one they should be very easy to catch. I just pick them up and take them out in the lane to give shots, tag, pull hair, etc. It is much nicer to have all of my stuff laid out on the tailgate than to try and wag it around all the pens while looking for fawns.
Really is not that big of a deal but when my first fawn hit the ground that i was going to bottle feed i looked like one of those guys whose wife just went into labor and you almost can't remember your name.haha i did have one doe that let out the most god awful set of grunts that made me almost rethink pulling her fawn at that time she is the tamest doe so she came right up to me and let me know she was not happy.
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They should be easy to get on day 2. You might start walking the pens a few weeks before due dates to get the dams used to you being in there and squatting down but still watch your back, more so with the tame dams. Please let them get colostrum the first 12 hours before you fill them up gel! Good luck
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Oh! If you have to "catch" one then it's over 3-4 days old. Hahaha
