How to Raise an Orphan Fawn

Before you decide a fawn, or baby deer, is orphaned, make sure. Deer mothers rarely abandon their young but, while foraging, frequently will leave them hidden in the underbrush. If you find a fawn, keep pets and other people away and keep your distance for several hours before trying to capture it. In addition, search the area for any dead lactating does. If you determine that the fawn has been orphaned, be familiar with the kind of care it will need if you decide to raise it yourself.

Things You'll Need

  • Clean towel or sheet
  • Latex gloves
  • Straw
  • Heat lamp
  • Bottle with rubber nipples
  • Deer or goat colostrum
  • Deer or goat milk
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Pick up the fawn with a clean towel or sheet, making sure you wear latex gloves to protect the fawn from disease transmission. A fawn is susceptible to hypothermia, so if it is wet or cold, rub it vigorously.

    • 2

      Prepare a thickly padded bed of straw for the fawn in a space that has no places for the fawn's fragile legs to become trapped. Keep the area as clean as possible to avoid attracting flies and germs. Do not use sawdust, which can cause respiratory problems, and make sure no dogs or natural predators can get in the area.

    • 3

      Install a heat lamp for warmth, especially in cold months. Be sure to place the lamp where the fawn can move in and out of its range, making sure the fawn cannot become entangled in the lamp or its cord.

    • 4

      Prepare a formula of colostrum, if the fawn is six hours or fewer old, in a bottle with a rubber nipple. Colostrum is the first lacteal secretion of a mother prior to the production of milk. Colostrum boosts the immune system of young mammals and is crucial to their health. Deer colostrum is best, of course, but goat colostrum is an acceptable substitute. Skip this step if the fawn is older than a day; assume that it had its dose of colostrum before being orphaned.

    • 5

      Feed the fawn warm deer or goat milk using a bottle with rubber nipples. Make sure the feeding apparatus is sterilized before use. The Deer Farmer (deer-library.com) recommends the following feeding schedule:

      One week old: 300 to 600 grams per day every four or five hours around the clock.

      Two weeks old: 800 to 1,200 grams daily, six or seven times a day. Supplement with grass.

      Three to five weeks: 1,000 to 1,500 grams daily, four or five times a day. At four weeks, begin serving the formula at room temperature.

      Six to seven weeks: 1,500 grams daily, two or three times a day.

      Eight to nine weeks: 1,500 grams once a day.

      Ten weeks: begin weaning the fawn off the formula.

      Do not overfeed the fawn, even it it cries for more. Always provide clean water, which the fawn will drink increasingly as it begins to feed on grass.

    • 6

      Assist the fawn in eliminating its feces (which will be loose) by massaging its abdomen if it is less than two weeks old; thereafter, make sure the stools are firm and pelleted, like that of an adult deer. Watch for diarrhea, which can be a sign of illness. Call a veterinarian if the condition is prolific or lasts for more than a day.