Mortality Rate

No one is going to want to answer this, because if you have had bad mortality on your farm it makes you sick to think about it, and if you dont, you dont want to jinx yourself, LOL. But as for me the fawns left on momma I only lost one (to ecoli) in 3 fawning years, i usually only have 3-4 on mom. in 2 years bottlefeeding i lost 2 from bloat. Either way you will likely lose some in a year, the more you fawns you have, the more likely you will lose one or a couple, weather on momma or not. wouldnt it be nice if we never lost any to sickness or accidents, but we all now thats part of farming. I have to agree with you rotary616, they definately appear to look for trouble.

Mortality rate is a tough thing to average but I'll jump in and share the good and bad years, the truth can hurt but I truly believe it is your duty as the farmer to find out why the fawn died and what you can do to prevent this from happening again! My first year I had 6 and lost zero, second year I had 13 and lost one, third year I had 32 and lost 18 and this year 22 and lost one. I have lost bottle feds and momma raise fawns but I now leave them all on momma. I have learned a lot in the past five years.......Clostridium shots for pregnant does in April, target fawn paste and C&D antitoxin when they're born, if it ain't broke don't fix it, you will always lose your best fawns, expect the unexpected, what works on your farm may not work on mine and don't love anything that can't love you back or you will have many broken hearts in this business and in your life! What's next? Not sure, but I'm ready to learn. Every farm is different but this is how we do it at Fox Creek Whitetails. - Dan

I like what chisfarm had to say, sums it up well.



Me, the momma does a better job at raising stronger and healthier fawns and of the studies I have done or seen, more bottle raised fawns will die vs momma raised fawns.