I'm having a blast with my deer but seem to always have questions. I'm bottle feeding two month old female fawns and they are doing great on straight red cap milk but on yesterday one of the fawns darted between me and the gate of their 10' x 10' kennel they are currently being raised in. She ran like a little rocket playing took 20 minutes to lure her in with bottle. First concern after seeing her lose thinking she needs more room to run and exercise? Second concern have a month committed in bottle feeding and seem to be really tame will I loose this by putting them in larger pen? I plan on bottle feeding for a total of 12 weeks at what age would you introduce them back to pen with other adult does?
Space bottle raised fawns need?
- Thread starter Wright deer
- Start date
Hi, this is JUST me. My babies are a yr. I still give them a bottle due to the fact that Sometimes it is easier to give meds. That way, just once or twice a month. Some deer farmers only bottle feed for 4 to 6 weeks. If these are going to be pets interact with them All of the time. Just sit there and watch and talk to them. You are in for so much fun!!! They Get into EVERYTHING!!! Lol. 
We bottle fed our first until 12 weeks. She was inside with a small play area out the front slider door for about 5 weeks. We then moved her into a larger pen with attached barn at about 8 weeks where she was with our buck of the same age (non-bottle fed). These were our very first deer ever and as we spent several times a day in there bottle feeding the little doe the buck became very friendly. Both deer now three have been in a large pen with several other deer since about age one. They both come running to the fence when they even hear us outside. The other deer all of which were never bottle fed or even interacted with before we go them will now approach the fence if they see treats but will run if we try and approach them. I think that the fact that we have the fence about 15 feet from the house and are always outside and in the pen helps them all stay and/or become relatively friendly and/or tame.
Becky
Becky
Have moved my month old fawns back with there mother doing great and taking bottle great. All other deer are bottle raised and seem interested in bottle but want take it I like the idea of giving meds to grown deer through bottle.
Joined Apr 2009
519 Posts | 1+
Rivesville, WV
They need a lot more room than a 10 x 10 pen. You will quickly regret having them in there.
Several years ago, I had two buck fawns in the same size chain link dog kennel. At about 5 to 6 weeks old I found one with two broken legs and lost him. A week later the other one broke a leg and I lost him. Apparently they were wanting to kick and play and were ending up getting their legs caught in the fence and SNAP! You should not lose the tameness with he fawns. They may not have much to do with you for a day or two because of their new found freedom, but they will come back to you....just be patient.
Several years ago, I had two buck fawns in the same size chain link dog kennel. At about 5 to 6 weeks old I found one with two broken legs and lost him. A week later the other one broke a leg and I lost him. Apparently they were wanting to kick and play and were ending up getting their legs caught in the fence and SNAP! You should not lose the tameness with he fawns. They may not have much to do with you for a day or two because of their new found freedom, but they will come back to you....just be patient.