transition to big pen

I just did this a week ago. Even if they are old enough to wean keep them on the bottle while they transition. If they have been in the barn and you have limitied their fresh greens, they could bloat badly once released and they gorge themselves . I moved mine to the pen at apx 1 moth old on a full stomach and continue feed a bottle 9 0z of redcap 3-4 times a day.

One of my concerns in introducing fawns into a new pen, especially a bigger pen, was them learning the fence. The tightest part of a fence is in the corners, and this is also the most apt spot for a deer to hit the fence. Because I have never seen a deer ''hit'' a solid fence, I placed 3 sheets of plywood, on end, in all the corners of the pen. Shade cloth will of course accomplish the same thing and be cheaper. This will prevent them from hitting the tightest part of your fence. Actually, this continues to make the pen more deer friendly whether it's an introduction to the pen or just maintaining ''old living quarters'' for the deer within. Like Grandma used to say ''ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure''. One thing I have learned in my 14 tears of raising deer is this: If I look at something and just think MAYBE it could be a potential problem, and I don't take care of it, it will eventually bite me in the butt nearly every time. And when you get bit in butt in the deer business, it normally takes a pretty big junk. Making mistakes in the deer business are tough because we can't make it up tomorrow, the next day, the next week, or the next month. It takes a year or years...IF it even can be made up! Best of luck in all you do!!

that is a good thought, I never thought about hitting fences. I've heard it happen, but I have never had a problem with hitting them. Mabey that is because I only have hand fed does that dont spook very easy at all. The first deer I got though grew up in a chainlink fence and when moved to my place with double stacked field fence she got her head stuck and ripped an ear tag out.

I also do the same as uncle harley about 4-6 we move them out depending on how they are doing. Also keeping them full so they don't eat a lot. I try not to give them a lot of cover so they cant hide that good, they seem to be a lot more tame that way.

While this wont help you this time, I can say this with certaint as future advice...raise them with wire present to begin with and theres IS no getting used to it. Start them in boxes until theyll handle, usually two or three days, then its out in the dirt and elements where they belong, open box and all. Less trauma, less fence hitting, and less sickness too.

NYBill said:

While this wont help you this time, I can say this with certaint as future advice...raise them with wire present to begin with and theres IS no getting used to it. Start them in boxes until theyll handle, usually two or three days, then its out in the dirt and elements where they belong, open box and all. Less trauma, less fence hitting, and less sickness too.

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Is that not common practice to have them in a smaller pen to begin with? I mean I assume most people keep them in some sort of barn setting with or without a small pen attached but a box is that for real ?

Harley, maybe you misunderstood me, let me explain. The box is for a couple three days until they take to the bottle and hand without hiding or running off. Then its into an outside area where theyre contained, but WITH fence so they learn it right away. Im not much of a believer in raising them indoors or in barns, etc, for extended periods.