Rearing orphaned domestic farm animals - some ways to help; FAQs, questions and answers.
HANDREARING ORPHANS
Some ways to help in the rearing of orphaned domestic farm animals.
In the years of farming mostly deer, but complimented by sheep, beef and goats, I have been confronted with the rescuing of very young animals almost every breeding season.
My philosophy is to save and rear the orphan so that it may be reintroducd into the group a.s.a.p. Hopefully it will be in addition to the farm production, not an overpampered nuisance.
As both an additional breeding unit and in the farm management, handrears can definitely aid in the day to day running of the farm - ie shifting stock, or settling groups of animals.
Getting started... this is a step by step guide - simply scroll down to the first question to start or click on the question you want answered.
Is the animal cold?
A. If the inside of the mouth and/ or the ears are cold to your normal touch then heat is of the utmost priority. Nothing will feed if really cold. The quickest way to fully heat a lamb or kid through, is in a just warmer than blood temperature water bath. The kitchen sink or tub is an economical place, as you can continue to add hot water to keep the temperature up and constant. The volume of hot water required is also less.
All that should be out of the water is the face, so care and support is important. It can take up to 30 minutes, but expect at least 20 minutes to heat a lamb / kid by this method. I then dry it off with firstly a towel, vigorously, and then a hair dryer is good, but take care not to burn the animal. The hair dryer must keep moving!
Alternatively place the orphan in a box on a towel and strategically place 2 or 3 x 1.5 litre plastic lemonade bottles filled with hot water - 1 along the back, 1 between the legs and 1 under a towel supporting the head/ shoulder area. If the animal stays quiet, then by the fire, or by some gentle heat indoors, is the easiest way to safely supervise and monitor progress. I find that an old woollen jersey, discarded by the children, one of my best aids as far as keeping warmth in.
Has the baby been fed at all?
If you are unsure, you will know by gently rubbing under the tail just above the anus with a warm damp cloth or finger. If the rubbing provides some black seedlike or plasticy faeces it is unlikely that the natural mother has fed the baby. The faeces is called mycomium or' first poohs'. If you get mustard coloured faeces then it has had some milk - ie colostrom from mum.
What can I best feed baby?
With some forward planning it is recommended that colostrum from a freshly calved cow, or ewe or goat be frozen, when available. I find that cows colostrum is perfectly adequate and easily sourced when the dairy cows are calving. There is a suitable product on the market which can also be obtained from your local veterinary clinic, but orphans often come unexpectedly and at odd hours so its best to be prepared.
Colostrom is really essential for the future health of your orphan. The colostrum needs to be fed as soon as possible - within the first 24 hours from birth. The protective antibodies which are contained in the colostrum, move through the lining of the stomach to permanently help the animal 's immune system against future sickness.
This phenomena starts to reduce after 12 hours and stops happening after 24 hours. It is still recommended to use colostrom for the first full 24 hours at least - longer if available. Glucose & / or Vitrate can safely be mixed to aid palatability and rehydration. (* see note later)
If you have difficulty getting the orphan to feed, then I recommend using a stomach tube for lambs. This is suitable for lambs, fawns or kids. The similar tube for calves is much bigger. Tubing is an effective, stress free way to get a decent amount of milk in when the animal is too weak to suck.
I find, especially with fawns, that letting it nuzzle under your chin/neck area often stimulates the suckling instincts.
Once fed, it is important that the orphan be put aside to sleep undisturbed, to recover and gain warmth and strength from the milk. A first feed for fawns, lambs or kids is at least 100mls, on demand for the first day or two. Probably up to six feeds / day. It is common for a big percentage of animals to die of simple dehydration, so if the feed is done by tube, then I would probably give up to 200 mls.(depending on the bodysize).
I always offer as much as the animal will take, by bottle, from the start, but never force him to finish the bottle, - the natural mother does not measure out her milk.
This way it never learns to overfeed, taking only what it wants.
Cold, stressed animals often scour quite quickly after rescue. To help in this department - I find that 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mls) of rennet given after the feed, helps set the milk in the gut and so slow its progress through enough to allow better digestion. This is good if scours are stress induced, not bacteria induced.
Often the animal needs rehydrating quickly, and so another highly recommended product to keep in the home help cupboard is 'Vitrate' or 'Revive'. These address the balancing of body electrolytes and contain sufficient energy to replace milk for up to 24 hours, if scours are present.
(*) Take care, as milk can aggravate persistant scours. It can be safely diluted with Vitrate though.
The last thing to hydrate before the birth, is the eyes, and so the first thing to dehydrate is also the eyes, so it is vitally important to keep the fluids up, or blindness - displayed initially as a clouding of the eyes - can result. B12 can aid this, if diagnosed very early.
A home made recipe for vitrate is:
4 tablespoons glucose/dextrose1 tablespoon baking sodaź teaspoons salt2 - 2˝ litres warm water
Always use glucose - never sugar
A healthy calf should get >5 litres of fluids a day, probably 1 litre is minimum for a fawn.
I have tested a successful milk/egg formula for fawns, but standard powdered milk formulas from the stock & station shops also work.
For every 600mls of milk I add one whole egg, 1 tbs. whole milk powder, 2 tbs glucose - which is removable when things are going well.
I think only the best is good enough - the fact that the animal is handreared is handicap enough, compared to bustfed young.
If you are dealing with a fawn then it is important to know that unless stimulated to do so, the fawn will not 'toilet' itself in the first few days. Rubbing under the tail and/or the penis positively but gently, copying the mothers tongue licking, will produce results, and so one can actually keep the fawn clean indoors, until bonded with the care-giver.
Is that all?
Finally, the best formula to successfully rearing anything, is to make your baby feel wanted and cared for. As soon as you can, start putting it back with its peer group, so it grows up relating to its own species. I only keep the young orphans around the house until they are bonded to me, or whoever will be doing the feeding. Care must be taken to watch that the others don't 'pick ' on your orphan though, so introduce it to the paddock through the daytime initially.
On the deer farm I have found that my master stags make good caregivers and role models in the early days ! There is something quite special about seeing a tiny fawn tucked up with a great big master stag! Yes, often the hinds have their own offspring, or are still waiting to do so, and the frequent appearance of you at feed time is an unwelcolm disruption whilst the big fawndrop is on. Whereas a wee fawn is no threat to a master stag.
The other point which I would like to make is that if you have to rear one animal, then two is better, both for you and the animals.
Also you must realise that it is irresponsible to rear something that has no chance of a normal, independant life. Sadly you need to know when to pull out.
EGMONT DEER FARM
Phone / Fax: 06 - 755 0601
Email: enquiries@egmontdeer.co.nz
Address: Bishop Road, RD2, New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand