Can you feed to much?

[STDF]

I have read on here before that your fawns should take in 10 to 20% of their body weight of milk per day. My question is how accurate is that, and also can you feed them too much? My fawns were pulled at 30 hours and are now 6 days old. When I get finished feeding they act like they want more is it ok to give them as much as they want or should I limit them to a number of ounces per day? THANKS

[Spiderman]

Twenty years ago when I started with whitetails , I heard both sides of the question and I decided to give all they wanted. By the time they were three months old , they were eating one of the big lamb / calf bottles , three times a day. They had huge guts and did not eat much else because they were so full all the time. Then they got a bug and got sick and I had a real bad time turning them around. Years after that , I fed with a normal size pop bottle and fed three times a day . They were always still hungry after feeding but they were offered other food and I kept a 2 liter bottle of water with a nipple hanging in their pens so they could have water any time of the day so they didn't get dehydrated. Worked much better for me. Jim

[PaintedMeadowsBJs]

If you are feeding replacer you can kill them over feeding.
With the red cap system, I feel you can feed them all they want.

[STDF]

I am using red cap milk. So you feel that i can feed them as much as they want?

[PaintedMeadowsBJs]

Yes...If you are not mixing...My fawns in years past when on formula/replacers get a belly when they eat...When I would mix it, it would froth up...And the residue in bottle when empty was bad. I have none of that with the red cap...My Doe is drinking 14 oz at a time. I know that with formula, I was only comfortable giving 4oz at this age.

[STDF]

How many times a day are you feeding and she is drinking 14 oz per time? I just want to make sure that I am not going to offer them too much and they not know when they are full.

[virgil]

I've been feeding red cap for 10 days now 4 times a day as much as they want.Mine are all doing great just make sure you give them fresh dirt this does same thing as probiotics doesn't hurt to give both. (drinking between 10 and 20 once)Mine are already starting to nibble on feed to.

[brianjames]

I agree with spiderman. I bottle fed over 50 fawns last year bucks and does on goat milk. I never gave a fawn more than 30 oz a day. If you do they wont eat other stuff. I want my fawns on grain and milk by 5-7 weeks into bottle. I bet i have a couple of coming yearlings that are 150 lbs+.

If you don't believe me there is a picture of one of them on Whitetail Exchange under timberjack semen. He was bottle raised this way.... The picture was taken on May 7. He is MUCH bigger today...
http://www.whitetailexchange.net/auction/1-Straw-of-Timberjack-400-X-400-and-Blowing-up,name,107940,auction_id,auction_details

[PaintedMeadowsBJs]

She is the only one I have pulled (buck still on the doe) no others born yet...
So, I have her in my house, she only wants feed 4 times... if she wanted more I would probably give it but she doesn't ask for it...she will come visit but doesn't demand the bottle like deer on replacer she only wants it four times...I love it:D

[ddwhitetails]

I am going with the knowledge of Wildbunch Whitetails. Rod and diane Miller have been in the business as long as most. They fed all they could eat and said they had the nicest, healthiest fawns they have ever had before.....that in itself is enough for me....I'll be feeding them a set amount for the first week four times a day.....I will then be feeding them 3 times a day all they can eat..........being it is three times a day it's not going to fill them up........the milk is digest rather quickly and this is why they will continue to eat other things......in fact The Millers said their fawns doing the all you can eat actually started eating other things faster than any other fawns thye rasied.......Everybody has their ways and I'm not saying one is better than the other.....I simply am going with the knowledge of the Millers and the fact that they were very satisfied with the way of bottle feeding.....they have fed basically every fawn they have bottle fed every fawn that has ever been born on their farm since being in this business and that tells me they have done a lot of fawns! You need to be sure you also vaccinate your fawns as well as put in the probiotics in their milk......use the red cap and save yourself a lot of hassle..........

[T.R.O.]

Going with letting them eat all that they want. Do any of you notice your fawns bellies looking like they are going to pop?? My smallest triplet eats very well and is a week old today. She eats about 9 onces per feeding 4 times a day. She pee's and has soft droppings almost everytime we feed. She seems to be doing fine but the only thing that makes me wonder is her big belly. But, She isnt much bigger than the bottle and shes drinking an entire bottle each time. Any concerns neccessary? OR continue feeding em all they want?

[The Roberts Ranch]

WOW......9 ounces at 1 week old, and she does not have the scours.? What are you feeding? To me that sounds like alot! I would figure 2 - 4 ounces each feeding. Maybe some of the veterans know more......Maybe I have always been under feeding mine....Anybody ?

[ddwhitetails]

What are you feeding??? Red cap you can feed them all they want.......milk replacer not sure if you can do that.......

[brianjames]

Why would you even risk feeding a doe fawn all they want? Your only concern on a doe fawn should be health. If you keep her healthy she'll be ready to breed in a year and a half. She doesn't have to grow in hyperspeed to be able to do that. I would just go with the moderate amount no matter what kind of milk of milk replacer I was feeding her. I have 43 fawns in my barn right now going on 100, and the oldest one will be 2 weeks tomorrow. I'm not even giving him 24 oz a day and he's growing like a weed...

[T.R.O.]

Im not sure how much they are supposed to have either. I heard from another guy that his fawns are drinking 10-20 ounces per feeding 4 times a day. I dont know why there is so much confusion with all of this. I wish there was just a set number. I read about feeding the 20% of total body weight in ounces of milk per day and I was doing that but they cry and act like they are starving.

[virgil]

What ever works for you is what to do if your fawn is healthy no scours no diareah keep doing what you are doing.Just use your head if you think belly might be to big cut back a little til she can handle it. I don't like to see mine act like they are starving either thats why i switched to red cap lot easier no mixing no mess.If feeding milk replacer can not feed all they want they will bloat every time can not digest ass well or something.

[PaintedMeadowsBJs]

On red cap mine are satisfied ofter eating and doesn't come back for more till 5 hours later...she stops at 19oz...She was born on the 13th my others are alittle smaller/younger
I love the red cap much healthier,stronger,better...No problems at all.

[ddwhitetails]

I guess if I was feeding 43 fawns and expecting 100 I wouldn't agree with the all you can eat theory either.:eek: But i'm not....and I do it not so my doe fawns grow at hyperspeed......I do it because it makes them nice and healthy....they grow at the rate they should......they eat other feed..they wean earlier....they are nice healthy strong fawns and that is why i feed them what they want. I would never consider feeding a fawn all they could eat if i thought it was endangering their health......my deers health is first and foremost on my priority list on my farm and always will be.:D

[IndependenceRanch]

Do parents let their kids eat all the candy they want? Candy and milk are not the same I know that, but the idea is parents know better than kids. Well most times:)

[PaintedMeadowsBJs]

Dennis...
I am With you! The red cap is the best thing ever!!!
I now have 10 fawns on it from every age.
Wow it is the best
It will cost me more but it is much healthier the fawns are so much better than ever before and I have been on every replacer out there...There is no problem starting them on it either it must taste the same or something they don't fight it like replacer

[T.R.O.]

Painted Meadows,
How much are yours drinking per serving? the ones that are about a week old??

[virgil]

Mine are drinking 8-24 oz per feeding 4 times a day at 1week to 12 days old each fawn is different have one that is real pig eats 24 every time but, he is bigger tha others.

[allenb]

I have two that are four days old. They are taking 7 oz. four times a day. Red cap sav-a-kid mix. I am planing on going to 8 oz. at the noon feeding tomorrow. So far so good. Allen

[PaintedMeadowsBJs]

At a week old they are taking between 9-17 oz depending on the fawn. I have some big some small.

[ddwhitetails]

Roger, You are right parents don't let their kids eat all the candy they can eat......but they sure would let them eat all the vegetables they could eat:D. In all seriousness, I know it doesn't sound right and this will be the last time I am going to push the red cap...........but the feeding them all they want works.......if there is one bad thing I could say about doing the all you can eat with the red cap is they pee alot.......other than that i have had great success with this method so far.....as i stated somewhere else....if i should have a problem I will be the first one on here letting everyone know what the problem is.........;)

[roughcountrywhitetails]

This may be a stupid question but when you all talk about (red cap) is it just red cap whole milk or is it a replacer you ar talking about? If it is a replacer where do you get it?
Thanks.

[PaintedMeadowsBJs]

red cap whole milk

[roughcountrywhitetails]

Thanks,
PaintedMeadowsBJs

[virgil]

If you have a dairy near by that manufactors milk you can usaully get it cheeper than at store.I've been useing stuff they bring back from store with a short shelf life i can get it free just have to use right away. The reguler dated stuff getting for $2.40 a gallon picked up at dairy at store they want $3.20-$4.00 a gallon.
So far this is saving alot of money.

[T.R.O.]

Those of you that are using the red cap... After they are done drinking, how does there stool look? None of mine have scours so Im happy but they arent dropping pellets either. Will they really not form pellets until they are a little older or what should we expect from them when we wipe them? They are 10 days old today.

[ddwhitetails]

Mine don't drop pellets till they are a little older.......as long as it's not runny you are ok.....put some libby's pumpkin in the milk it helps to prevent the scours....although I have never had the scours since using red cap.....not saying it can't happen....good luck!! Make sure you either feed them dirt or mix the probios in their milk this is important no matter what milk you use....actually both is best!

[allenb]

I use pumpkin and plain yogart in every bottle of red cap. Makes for orange butterscotch looking fairly solid stool at six days. If my memory serves me correct there should be some pellets at around fifteen to twenty days. As long as its fairly solid there shouldn't be a problem. I add goats prefer probiotic powder to one bottle a day. Usually in the morning when they're good and hungry. Good luck, Allen

[yranchwhitetails]

Are you mixing any milk replacer in the red cap milk or just straight red cap milk?

Thanks, eric young
yranch whitetails

[allenb]

Eric. sorry I forgot to mention right now I am using 1/4 cup of sav-a-kid replacer to 16oz. of red cap. The first couple days use less replacer. It may not be necessary to use replacer with the whole milk ,I know some don't. I guess it makes me feel better.LOL. Hope this helps, and good luck, Allen.

[virgil]

I'm useing straight red cap all they can eat if going to use straight red cap think this is very important to feed all you can eat as John Swank brought out not as much nutrision in cow milk so need to eat bigger volume. Mine are all pooping pellets now they are 1-2weeks old every once in a while poop is a little puding like but i just throw in a couple spoons of pumpkin and this firms them back up. I make them poop every feeding also and that is 4 times a day right now.