Deer Milk Replacer

Milk substitute for all deer species. Use for orphaned fawns or when mother’s milk is limited.

Key Features

Like Mother’s Milk – formulated to match the composition of deer milk, based on published data from a range of species including fallow, red deer & chital.
High in Energy – elevated fat content to supply the requirements of fawns.
Protein for Growth – essential amino acids for healthy development.
Vitamins & Minerals – including elevated copper levels to minimise potential deficiency.

Ingredients

Whole milk solids, casein, whey protein, vegetable oils, omega-3 & 6 fatty acids, vitamins A, B₁, B₂, B₃, B₅, B₆, B₉, B₁₂, C, D₃, E, K, biotin, choline, inositol, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, selenium.

Typical Analysis

Protein	28%
Fat	45%
Ash	5%
Moisture	4%
Energy (ME)	25 MJ/kg

Pack Sizes

5kg, 10kg & 20kg.

Use Deer Milk Replacer for hand-rearing orphaned fawns or as a supplement when mother's milk is limited. Newborns that did not receive colostrum from the mother may benefit from feeding Impact Colostrum Supplement, preferably in the first 24 hours after birth.

Making up Milk

To make 1 litre of milk: Mix 250g of powder to 800mL of warm water.

Add about half of the water first and mix to a paste. Then make up with remaining water and mix thoroughly. Water is preboiled to ensure it is sterilised. If the water is too hot it can cause the milk to curdle. If it is too cold then it will be difficult to disperse the powder. An electric whisk can be used for mixing. Milk can be stored in the fridge for a day or can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Feeding Guide

Warm milk to about 30°C and feed from a bottle with teat. A D Teat is recommended, and this fits a standard soft drink bottle neck. Deer milk is high in energy which allows for low feed volumes and longer intervals between feeds. This mimics the natural situation with mother-reared fawns. Feed 4 times a day for the first week, 3 times a day in week 2, gradually reducing to 2 feeds per day thereafter. To avoid dehydration during hot weather, offer drinks of water between feeds. Always have clean drinking water available. Consult a veterinarian or experienced breeder for particular advice about fawn husbandry.

Growth

Different species of deer have different growth rates, as indicated in the table below:Where possible, weigh fawns regularly to verify weight gains and determine the correct volume of milk to feed. Overfeeding milk can cause diarrhoea so feed the suggested volumes in the feeding guidelines.

Weaning

Depending on species, fawns may be weaned by about 3 months of age. Offer high quality, digestible herbage from 4 weeks of age. This starts the development of microbial digestion in the stomach, and the weaning process on to solid foods. Once they start to eat sufficient quantity of solid food, reduce the milk intake and increase the solids until they are fully weaned.