Preemie

We had a set of twins about 5 weeks ago, 1 was stillborn and the other was very tiny, maybe 2 pounds. We didn't think she would make it, but she is doing good! When we first brought her in the house she would try to get up and she was so weak her legs couldn't hold her and she would fall. But everyday she would get up a little and her legs would bow out from her weight. Her legs have gotten a lot stronger and she will run and jump and walk just fine but her legs are still bent out just little. Will her legs ever straighten completely? and We usually keep all bottle fed fawns inside for the first 4-6 weeks before we let them in an outside pen. Should we wait longer on this little girl? or will she do just fine? We are in western oklahoma and our deer are from the North and it is so hard to keep them alive!





This forum is great! I have read alot of post and have learned ALOT! Keep it up!

Her legs will get straighter the more she moves around and builds the muscle tone in them. I keep mine up for 2-3 weeks and then move them out to a bigger pen. This helps them get stronger and helps to keep the leg injurys down. Good luck

Thanks Michael! I see your in Oklahoma too. Do you lose many of your dear? We just moved to Western Oklahoma to take care of a ranch. We are from Texas and it seems a whole lot easier keeping deer thriving there than here. Last year was the first year the guy here had deer and they are mostly northern deer. Last year they probably lost half of their herd. This year isn't looking so good either. We have lost 2 huge breeder bucks and 2 doe within the last week. We haven't gotten the autoposy report back yet but we are thinking EHD. Any suggestions on what to do? Is it just the heat? the dryness? We starting spraying permetheryn (sp) everynight. We have darted all the sick ones with meds, but they still don't seem to make it. Should we risk injury and run them through the shoot and pump them full of antibiotics. Risk the heat and tranquilize them and pump them full of antibiotic? Any help would be awesome because we are racking our brains on why they are getting so sick!

My suggestion to the owner would be, sell this place and move to TEXAS!

How do you tell someone there are a lot of "northern deer" growers on this forum that share a lot of their information on a regular basis?



How do you tell them that before TX closed their borders thousands of "northern deer" were moved down there every year, and there must have been a good reason why the genetics were wanted down there?



How do you tell someone that they should educate them selfs about CWD before they make uneducated comments?

This was my secod post and I am so sorry if I offended anyone at all. I think I offended you and I am really sorry. Your right, I am uneducated about CWD here where we are currently located. I was just told by many people here in Oklahoma that bringing northern deer here is hard on them, heat, dryness, etc... Your also right, that many people want northern deer because what I hear ya'll have some mighty fine Deer! That is why the ranch we are on bought northern deer. Again I am really sorry to offend you, all I meant by my comment was, if we were in Texas and raised Texas deer they would probably be more immune to diseases down there and we wouldn't have as many losses. It is a sickening feeling doing everything you possibly can and still lose a lot. Everyone has been super helpful on here and I have learned a lot reading everyone's post and 'trying' to educate myself with raising northern deer where they don't thrive as much as they would where they were born. Again super sorry!

Give me a call tommorrow. 918-381-3255 I'd be happy to try and help out. Are any of your deer vacinated against EHD/Blue tongue? What meds are you giving? I'm sure that it was NOT CWD that killed the deer last year or the owner would have had alot of people knocking on his door. It is also my understanding that EHD is really going crazy right now in TX and southern OK. Let me know if I can help



P.S. ALL of my deer are northern deer and knock on wood I have only lost a few and most have been to the fences and not a weaker line of deer. Being from TX I understand your comment about the deer immune system not being as strong as Texas deer. I have a partner who's ranch is in Hebbronville,TX and our big fight is on this very subject. He thinks the northern deer won't make it in south TX. Even using semen from northern bucks would be out. It is my belief that the immunity of the doe will pass on to the fawn and not the bucks as it is with most animals and humans. That fight will live on FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!! good luck

EHD/BT is just another page in our book. I'm as close to Texas as you can get. We have taken our loses, bur raising "Northern" deer CAN be done down here. Just keep breeding the survivers, and you will come up with a herd that has immunity to it. We see BT EVERY year and glide right through it now. I will be happy to help you out via phone 918-728-1913. It sounds like you need some advise.



If you moved to Oklahoma, bought a ranch, and brought in a bunch of northen deer, you should have bought a backhoe too.



P.S. The word CWD will offend everybody in the deer business if used as loosly as you did. No offence taken here, just learn from it.

Thanks again Michael and thanks to you too Reed! It's a long story with the issues they had on this ranch last year and I promise I won't use those 3 letters again!



My husband actually runs the place, someone else owns it and I have been learning alot this year and trying to learn as much as possible and find as much info as I can and this forum is really great!



We have had 2 of our breeder bucks die this week (autopsies on the way) and 2 doe. We had another one sick tonight but we Tranquilized her and gave her a bunch of meds, antibiotics, b-12 and a few others not sure off the top of my head. Hopefully she will be better tomorrow. Like I said before, looking through the records from last year is depressing and seeing how many they lost. I do know the guy who ran the place last year, didn't have any experience with deer and that might be why they lost so many.



I know my husband has several contacts around here who are in the business as well who have been really helpful but I will keep you 2 in mind if we have anymore questions. Again Thanks!

Karcod, Thanks for editing your post and for the apology. I understand the trauma associated with losing deer. Point blank, IT SUCKS, and is a hard thing to deal with. We all go through it and still keep raising deer so the good must out weigh the bad I guess.

You have some really great guys and some experienced farmers willing to help you with the southern issues you have down there. Reed68 and Michael are great and will be of a big help to you.

GOOD LUCK!



Roger