Method for artificially raising mule deer fawns

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978 · Am. Midl. Nat.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5299428

Eighteen captive Rocky Mountain mule deer fawns (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus), nine hand-raised and nine dam-raised, were used to evaluate an artificial rearing procedure. Hand-raised fawns were fed whole cow's milk supplemented with a daily addition of pediatric vitamins. Feeding intervals and quantities fed increased with increasing age of fawns. Blood values, body weight and mortality were used to determine nutritional and physiological status of fawns. Dam-raised fawns had significantly higher (P < 0.05) hemoglobin, hematocrit, total protein and cholesterol levels than hand-raised fawns. Mean body weight and growth rate were also significantly higher (P < 0.001) in dam-raised fawns. High mortality, 67%, occurred in dam-raised fawns as compared to 33% in hand-raised fawns. Resultant tameness in hand-raised fawns facilitated treatment of disease and handling of animals in experimental situations.

• OSTI ID: 5299428
• Journal Information: Am. Midl. Nat.; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Midl. Nat.; (United States) Vol. 100:2; ISSN AMNAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

553000* -- Agriculture &amp; Food Technology
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
ANIMAL BREEDING
ANIMAL GROWTH
ANIMALS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DEER
DIET
EVALUATION
GLOBIN
GROWTH
HEMOGLOBIN
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
MAMMALS
MASS REARING
MORTALITY
NEONATES
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSIOLOGY
PIGMENTS
PORPHYRINS
PROTEINS
REARING
RUMINANTS
VERTEBRATES