Yesterday morning before work I went out to feed my best bred doe and she was bedded down and not interested in eating. She is due any day now. I came home after work and went out to check on her and she looked worn out. As i walked to the back of her pen I saw twin doe fawns laying together dead. Needless to say I was heart broken. Here is the mistery. The one fawn appeared completely normal. Good size, color and shape. It had been licked clean by the mother. The other fawn was smaller and looked to be several weeks behind the other fawn in size and development. It was still attached to the placenta laying next to it. The strangest thing was that it had white markings as usual but everything had a rusty yellow tinge to it. The only thing that I can figure out is that it died at some point (several weeks ago?) and it was decaying. I noticed that where the doe was laying during the birth the ground was all scraped up as though she was struggling. Maybe she was so preoccupied with the dead fawn that she ignored the "healthy" one and it died. By the way the doe is 14 years old. I have heard of older does than this fawning with no problem. Has anyone had an experience like this? What do you think happened here? Tom
Joined Apr 2009
1,485 Posts | 0+
Vaughn, MT 59487
Tom,
It would be my opinion you are right that the small one died before birth and then produced toxins that killed the bigger fawn in the doe before birth. I would guess both were dead at birth. Not much you can do but wait till next year for a do over. Sorry for the problem.
It would be my opinion you are right that the small one died before birth and then produced toxins that killed the bigger fawn in the doe before birth. I would guess both were dead at birth. Not much you can do but wait till next year for a do over. Sorry for the problem.
Tom sorry to hear of your problems. I personally wish I could trade mine for yours. We hosted a retreat at our lodge and some of the retreat people went where I told them not to go. Near our breeding pens. Monday morning I found our biggest breeder dead. It ran into the fence. Father forgive them they know not what they do. So I kept silent and forgave and move on.
Life is full of problems it is how we handle them that gives honor to us and what we believe.
Sorry to hear about your fawns.
Blessings
Life is full of problems it is how we handle them that gives honor to us and what we believe.
Sorry to hear about your fawns.
Blessings
Joined Apr 2009
1,562 Posts | 0+
cental Pennsylvania
Sorry about the bad news on your fawns Tom. It seems that every few years I will get a stillborn, for whatever reason. It's always heartbreaking. We all try so hard to prepare for a safe and healthy fawning season, but some things are beyond our control.
Sorry to hear about your buck as well Andy, May The Lord bless you with another big breeder.
Sorry to hear about your buck as well Andy, May The Lord bless you with another big breeder.
Tom/Wisdom
Deeply sorry for your losses.
We had a few still born fawns last year not exactly sure why. When speaking with our vet he told us one way to tell if it was still born was if it was limp it was still born if when you found it and it was stiff it had taken a breath after birth.
Not sure if that holds true we had one of each just thought I would relay what we were told.
Deeply sorry for your losses.
We had a few still born fawns last year not exactly sure why. When speaking with our vet he told us one way to tell if it was still born was if it was limp it was still born if when you found it and it was stiff it had taken a breath after birth.
Not sure if that holds true we had one of each just thought I would relay what we were told.