Questions for the red cap guys

I'm bottle feeding one fawn so far this year. I did four, two years ago, and used raw goats milk. This year I'm trying red cap. I just want some reassurance on working with this milk. I understand you let them drink all they want. Is this correct? My fawn is 5 days old today and she's drinking about 6-8 oz. at a shot.(sometimes 10) I let her drink until she's not interested any more and try a couple minutes later and see if she wants a little more. I feed her at 6, 11, 5, and 10. Then not until almost 6 the next morning. Is this OK? She seems fine so far. She poops almost every feeding and it's like playdough. She does pee alot, though, and even pees on her own. She is still pretty wobbly on those long legs yet and I'm just worried if she's getting enough nutrition. She seems spunky and alert after she eats but a couple minutes of roaming around and exploring and she's off to sleep until next bottle. She eats a little dirt and has nibbled some greens but not drinking any water yet. I can't think of anything else to say about her so if anyone has any comments or suggestions please let me hear them. I'm just worried I'm doing her justice with this red cap method. Any advice? Thanks.

We mix milk replacer with our red cap to make up for anything that missing.

Sounds like your on the right track I did 4 last year this way but only fed 3 times aday and they ended up healthy and very good size. As long as she eats and goes she will be fine just keep an eye out for the runs so you can catch it before it gets bad and I think you should be good.

We also mix replacer with the milk. There is a copy of our schedule listed under the health and wellness section then click on vaccination program. It works for us.

I used red cap last year and liked it and will use it this year as well. I mixed 1/2 cup of milk replacer per gallon of milk. Fed 3 times a day and DID NOT give them all that they wanted. 1st week I gave up to 6oz x 3 times, week 2 8oz x 3, week 3 8-10oz x 3, week 4 and 5 10-12 oz x 3, week 6 to 10 12-14 oz x 3, week 11 12-14oz x 2 times a day,week 12 12oz one time a day. I added water, feed and fresh dirt in week 2, also mixed powered probiotics every day as well. all fawns weaned big and healthy.

Last year was the first year we had fawns that were same body size as the mother-raised and we followed Browning Whitetails' schedule...they were very helpful. We are doing it again this year, have 6 of them being bottlefed now and again all are doing great.



If you want me to send you the schedule, as we've tailored it a little to fit our operation, just email at [email protected] and I can send it to you.

For those who use fresh goat milk, be sure to pasteurize it before feeding to prevent CAE.

Plain red cap is just fine -Last year my fawn was the second largest out of over a hundred fawns in our fawn study (I only raised three).Milk is a whole food it is not missing anything why add something thats not missing .

Thanks everyone for the imput. Windy Ridge I sent you an email for the schedule. Thank you very much. Paul, I tried to get your schedule from the post but I can't open it. I have to have my wife check it out because (I am ashamed to admit) I am pretty computer illiterate. Anyway, like I said, so far so good. She seems to be finding her legs more and more each day. One thing I did notice is sometimes she seems to be walking on the sides of her hooves a little. Not all the time, just now and then. I think she just needs to move around some more to get those muscles working right. I'll just keep an eye on it for now. Again, thanks to all who replied and good luck to everybody with their own little ones!

Using red cap mixed with kid replacer on my fawns this year. I used pasturized goats milk last year but lost my supplier. Feeding one fawn now and trying to follow the same amount per feeding as last year. My fawn isn't satisfied and polishes off her bottle in a few seconds. She is 3 days old and gets 4 ounces 4 times a day which is actually more than I would have fed with the goats milk at 3 days. This fawn looks and acts 100% healthy. I don't want to overdue it and cause myself a problem. Any of you vetran red cap user have any suggestions?

Well it's two weeks and all was fine until today. I left her outside all the time for the last two days. She seems good with it. This morning I mixed a little powdered probiotics in her 6 a.m. bottle. Now here at 6 p.m. she has a little bit of the runs. Not really liquid just really, really soft. She even pooped on herself and on her blanket she lays on. First time for going without being stimulated, even though she pee's by herself. She's been eating dirt from the start and now I even see her nibbleing at the grass. Could it just be she's been eating some greens or did the probiotics do this to her? Also, should I give her a little pepto or some pumpkin mixed in with her bottle? I don't want to jump the gun but I also don't want it to escalate into a bigger problem. Any suggestions?

A little bit of either wont hurt her.She is off to a good start if she is nibblin on greens and dirt.She is growin up.Mabey back her down some ounces for a day or two and watch her.It sounds normal as our do the same thingat times.I know that you want to jump right on her if she gets anything at all like water. Good luck with her!!!

I mix probiotics in every gallon of milk that I use, did this last year as well. I just have not had much trouble with my fawn's. I did have one get a bit softer than I would like, I think it was because I was giving her more milk than I should have. I cut her back a little and mixed 1 1/2 cc of Albon in the next bottle. All was well the next afternoon.

Thats the problem with adding stuff-use straight red cap as much as they want =no problems

Woody



I seriously doubt the probiotics did anything bad to her. My guess would be she got a little soft because she ate some grass. I am no expert on fawns, but my understanding is that the probiotics will only help her. She already has the bacteria in her system, giving her more just assures that she has the amount her body wants, the rest will just pass through. Take it for what it's worth, like I said, I'm no expert. Hope she gets over this for you.

How much straight red cap does everyones fawns drink at 2 weeks and does it go up alot from there?

we like to keep them hungrywhen you start putting outside they may get a little loose, this is a big change to their digestive system.....we do not put outside until they are 3-4 weeks but at that time they are out permanately and do not come back in the barn.....ours will also get a little runny from the increased grass intake but they usually get over it pretty quick and we also add probiotics to each bottle....

for tough cases try fast track water dispersible, put in bottle immediately before feeding as it will gell the milk, this usually helps more so with the tough ones....

rick do you put all the doe fawns together at that time and feed them together.and are they still calm



thanks Ed

last year we put them in groups of six, this year we will be putting all together, we will have some born later this yr so we will add them to the group at 3 to 4 weeks old

Well, it seems she is comming around. She is not as runny as it was but still softer than I'd like. She is eating like a pig and really likes the dirt. She is very friskey and jumps around and plays ( I hop and jump around the pen with her. My wife says I'm weird!) so I guess she's feeling OK. Maybe I'm a little paranoid with her but hey, she's my girl. Don't know if I'll try the probios again any time too soon. Like I said...paranoid. I'll take a wait and see attitude. If she seems fine in a couple days maybe I'll give her some more probiotics and see what happens. Keeping my fingers crossed until then. Thanks for the help!!!!