"RED CAP" Milk

[T.R.O.]

Hey, Just wanted to go back to the dicussions about using red cap milk for fawns. Heard there is alot of people going to that this year. If those of you would explain exactly what your doing by breaking it down to week by week I would greatly appreciate it. I plan on using it as well but want to make sure that Im going to be doing something that others have already done and had success with. I am also excited about using probiotics mixed in with feedings and using the fawn paste at birth. What are any of you using and mixing with? Biggest question is: are you using the store bought red cap directly out of the jug and then warming it up and feeding it or is there somthing to do to it prior or mix with it? Thanks alot!! Just Wanting BIG HEALTHY fawns!!

[Jack]

Biggest question is: are you using the store bought red cap directly out of the jug and then warming it up and feeding it or is there somthing to do to it prior or mix with it? Thanks alot!! Just Wanting BIG HEALTHY fawns!![/QUOTE]

Being the only guy in Montana who raises deer I don't get much for information out here except from this site. I've been interested in the red cap feeding method. Took me a while to figure out you guys were talking about whole milk. Like the quote above I would like to know what you mix if anything with this milk or just feed straight from the bottle? Thanks guys and girls for any help.

[Rick]

most are probably feeding red cap milk straight out of the jug after warming, I personally mix kid replacer with mine to richen it up a little, we also did this when feeding goats milk

[T.R.O.]

I have talked with Robbie on here and she reccomends adding Target Probiotics to the milk since it is pasturized. Some of the good bugs and bacterias that deer need were taken out through the pasturization so adding SB-12 to the milk replaces the nutrients and bacterias the deer need. I think I am going to be a believer in Probiotics after this fawning season! You can order through her directly if you are interested. Hopefully this helps you out some.

[allenb]

TRO & Jack, we put the ammoumt of red cap milk, mixed with 1/5 the ammount of sav-a-kid replacer that the bag instructions call for when mixing with water ,into a container needed for a feeding. For every 6oz of milk we add the following, 1tsp pure pumpkin, 1tsp plain yogart, and 1 scoop (included in can) Goats Prefer Probiotic Powder. Stir, stir, stir with a wire wisk. Place the milk into the bottles and put into a hot water bath until it is good and warm when placed on your wrist. Like testing a babies milk. I think the main ingredient is to keep the bottles, nipples, and all tools CLEAN , CLEAN , CLEAN. We use hot soapy bleach water, and rinse well after each feeding. I came up with this combination after asking numerous questions, and spending hours searching deer farmer forums. It has worked well for us,with no scours and good sized fawns at weaning time. I hope this helps in some way. Good Luck this season. Allen

[STDF]

Allen thanks a lot for your input! It would be great to hear what others do as well.

[Jack]

Allen,
Do you mix the one to five mix with the red cap milk or are you using a mix of equal parts red cap milk to an equal part of the 1/5 mix of goat milk?? Thanks for the help everyone.

[richie0033]

now I am new to this so please bear with me.. I hear some of you talk about red cap milk. Is this what you buy in the grocery store? Also do you think that it is better than zoologic milk replacer. I am about to feed 20 or so fawns and was wondering what the pros and cons of each were.. Also if you use red cap what if any mix is used.. Any info would be greatly appreciated..

[T.R.O.]

Allen, Thanks Alot! Does anyone microwave their milk to get it warm faster? doing 10 bottles on a kitchen stove heating in hott water seams like its going to take a while. We have microwaved before when we are in a hurry. But usually sit and wait by the stove. That was only with a few fawns though. This year looking at around 10. Anybody have problems with microwaving their milk???

[Mitch P]

I know there is a lot out there waiting on a response to the ole Nuke the milk. For 9 years that has been the only way I heated the bottles. After so long you know how may bottles and ozs you can do at one time for a nice warmth. Just like our kids we heated their formula in the microwave with no ill effects. You just always have to be aware that there could be hot spots in the milk so shake the bottles and check the temp before you feed it. Just the Pollocks ways.

[T.R.O.]

Good deal!! Thats good to hear!! Another question is What does everyone use to clean out the big square bottles. Just rinsing with bleach and soap water isnt enough is it? Is there a perfect scrub brush out there that reaches the very bottom and actually scrubs out any residue left in there? Im thinking about letting a dishwashing machine do all the work this year between feedings. Anyone have any comments??

[Lisa]

personally, i would not nuke the milk in the microwave.....it gets rid of some of the good stuff....although if you are already using pastuerized milk.....i'm not sure it would matter except for what Mitch says about the hot spots.

i fed 25 fawns last year and heated all my bottles in the kitchen sink (i get extremely hot water out of it!) just fill both sides of the sink and set the bottles in. depending on how much milk i was feeding there were times i had to drain and refill the sink. but it's NOT as hard or time consuming as it may seem. gives you time to have your all-day-much-needed-caffiene fix, put the milk, medicines, probiotics etc away and clean up your counter tops....time to get your record keeping books ready as well as the buckets to carry the bottles in. by the time you do ALL that.....your milk is warm!

although....you do have to keep your dishes washed so your sink is available at ALL times! ; ) lol that reminds me....i am a clean freak and bleach & lysol are my fav...but you must MUST MUST remember to clean your sinks and the area around it as well! you don't want your fawns getting salmonella or some other funk because you didn't clean you sink!!

[allenb]

Jack, for instance, if the ammount of milk I need to feed calls for one cup of replacement powder, I will use 1/5 cup powder and mix it with the red cap only ,no water. Hope this answers your question. If not let me know. Allen

[Robbie]

I do not microwave milk - especially if you have added probiotics to it. You will kill all of the good bacteria right out of it. I recommend a hot water bath to warm the milk.

[Gaylen C]

If you use the microwave to heat the milk, heat to the proper temp then add your probiotics. That way you don't kill the good bacteria.

[T.R.O.]

Robbie, If you microwave the milk to the desired temperature and then add the SB-12 is that fine? As long as the milk is nuked before you add any special blends??

[Robbie]

Yes, that will save the good stuff in the probiotics. I prefer not to microwave regardless, but that is just my preference.

[Rustyblaster]

I guess the biggest perk from using formula is that you can mix it with hot water out of the tap and not have that warm-up wait time.

This year I am going to do the red cap feedings as many of you, as it sounds, are going to try.

Mitch,:rolleyes: I wonder if a guy just put the cold milk right in to a coffee maker and got hot out and mixed maybe with more cold milk in bottles to get the right temp.;) I will be feeding from 20oz plastic bottles and they don't hold up too well in microwave.:mad: I am not feeding an army, maybe just a half dozen at most so large scale coffee pot might cover my small scale operation.:p

Just a thought! Feedback if you may!

[Jack]

Jack, for instance, if the ammount of milk I need to feed calls for one cup of replacement powder, I will use 1/5 cup powder and mix it with the red cap only ,no water. Hope this answers your question. If not let me know. Allen

Thank you Allen, that answers my question. Must be a little Polock or Hillbilly in me.:)

[allenb]

Rusty, sounds like it would work. Or maybe just pre heat the milk in a sauce pan before adding the good stuff if your only doing a couple.

[richie0033]

this is the first that I have heard of this. Is red cap milk out of grocery store. Is it better than zoologic? Pros and cons of both please

[T.R.O.]

Thanks too all, this has been really helpful!!! I really hope this works out! 1st go around with it this year on about 10 fawns so we will see! This is regular whole milk bought from the store. Dont know about zoologic except price difference.

[Gaylen C]

I will be feeding from 20oz plastic bottles and they don't hold up too well in microwave. I am not feeding an army, maybe just a half dozen at most so large scale coffee pot might cover my small scale operation.


I measure out the amount of milk that I will need for a feeding and put it into a glass bowl when heating in a microwave. Heat it, then stir the milk to mix in any hot spots that there might be, then measure it out into your plastic bottles. After a couple of days you will know the exact time it takes to heat the milk in the microwave.

[ddwhitetails]

I used to use a microwave but found out that using a bucket filled with hot water and soaking the bottles in it works much better........sometimes depending on how many bottles you are doing you may have to replace the hot water once....but it still is quicker than trying to do a few bottles in the microwave at a time.......you can do many more bottles at one time by soaking them in hot water.......just my opinion!!

[West Michigan Whitetails]

What would your thoughts be on using unpasturized milk right from the cow, and would you prefer Holstien or Jersey cow?

[Rick]

there is some thoughts that a micro wave can kill some good things in the milk, true or not I dont know but just in case I use hot water also

[dcwhitetails]

2 of my biggest fawns ever, was on micro,zoologic.dont see how it could be bad.but since we heard this we warm on stove in water.Dc

[Rick]

I love the raw milk for fawns but there are risks that need to be considered, Pasturization eliminates most of these risks...

[virgil]

Dan jersey would have a higher fat content than holestein probly better with more fat content. Taking a chance of getting disease by not pasturizing but some do it with no problems.

[Mitch P]

Dan I would say now a days whole milk straight from the farm shouldn`t be too big of a risk. The milk from the cow is piped to the tank where minimal contamination can occur. No doubt there is a risk of Ecoli, coccidia and salmonella. But I have ran the risk for years with goat`s milk where I had more of a chance of contamination because of the manual milkings. If your very in tune to your fawns you will pick up on a little touch of any of the 3. If noticed quickly treatment is easy and easily cleared up. But if you look at the increase in fat content in milk from the tank verses store bought. Big difference. I drink a lot of milk from the tank. Look what it did to me! :D

[PaintedMeadowsBJs]

Being a first time feeder of the red cap milk...Two differences I noticed right from the start was... 1. when mixing it does not froth up like replacer and 2 it doesn't leave that greasy residue on the inside of the bottles when they are empty...I think those are two good things that probably equal out to be better for the fawns.