How to Feed an Orphaned Deer

Taking care of an orphaned deer is not as hard as it may seem at first. Fawns are usually not orphaned by their mother, unless the doe has been killed or is severely injured. Should you see a fawn alone, you should not disturb it unless you see its mother deceased nearby. Taking care of an orphaned deer does take dedication, but is a fairly easy task.

Things You'll Need

  • Baby bottles
  • Goat's milk
  • Cow's milk
  • Blender
  • Baby rice
  • Baby cereal
  • Ripe bananas
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Instructions

    • 1

      Mix 3 cups of goat's milk and 1cup of cow's milk together in a blender. A young fawn will will drink up to 4 cups of milk per day, in two separate feedings. This is equal to two 8 oz bottles per feeding, two times per day. If you have a newborn fawn you will need to mix in several drops of lactate, also known as colostrum. If no deer lactate is available, you can use goat's lactate.

    • 2

      Heat the milk so that it is warm. A young deer prefers to have warm milk, just as they would get it from their mother. Make certain that the milk is very warm, but not hot.

    • 3

      Pour the mixture into a baby bottle. You may want to make the opening in the nipple slightly bigger so that they can suckle easily; however, do not make the hole so big that the formula pours out. Normally a large sewing needle can be used to enlarge the hole in the nipple.

    • 4

      Feed baby cereal, baby rice and ripened, liquefied bananas once the fawn is a couple of months old. Just like a human child, fawns graduate from liquids to semi-solid foods.

    • 5

      Hold the bottles up high when feeding an orphaned deer to simulate they way they would feed from their mother. Make sure that it keeps its heads high and stretches for the milk. This will also help avoid stomach aches and gas.