So....in my last blog I made a mention of raising a baby deer. Now I can officially talk about it-or at least I am going too! We have had "Brian" for two weeks now, we think he was only possibly a day (or less) old when we found him. He didn't take to the bottle right away and he wasn't walking. By the end of the day he had taken to the bottle. I went to the store and bought milk replacer for kids(baby goats) because I searched the Internet and that is what I found. Started mixing up bottles--one cup of powder to 8 ounces of water because that's what the bag said to do! Turns out that is what you do for baby goats, baby deer on the other hand only get 1 tablespoon to 8 ounces. When you mix it really thick the deer gets really stinky gas and diarrhea-deer don't usually have diarrhea, they have hard nuggets which many people see right in their back yard. The one tablespoon is much like he moms milk, which is very watery.
Here is what you do if you find a baby deer: Leave it alone!! Unless; you see a dead doe near the baby. This is what I have found out through this ordeal, you can NOT get a permit to keep a deer, not in the state of Michigan anyway. This I learned by calling the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), I actually had my husband call, but none the less we called. They said, it is illegal to have them "contained", so in your house IS illegal! Then they gave us a website to go to that had the name of licensed rehabilitation homes to call. We found one in Jackson, which is about an hour away from us. She said she wouldn't have room for him for about two weeks. If we could hold on to him "for her" we would not have any trouble with the DNR or anyone else and if we do, give them her name and number and she will deal with it.
You are not supposed to get the baby accumated (or attached to you). Well that is almost impossible when you have to feed him a bottle everyday and rub his butt with a damp cloth to encourage a bowel movement. It all makes great sense, but how can you not want to cuddle with this:
Let me say this, it is A LOT of work. He thinks he needs to eat every time he sees you, so he nudges you with his head which is VERY annoying but it's all he knows, so you forgive him. He pees A LOT! Not a tinkle, a river, it's more than dogs pee. He is also wild so he has no idea that he's peeing inside or outside, on a rug or in the grass. One other thing he doesn't understanding of glass. He hasn't broken any, but when I come home from work he can't wait to get to me so I can feed him and he runs into the glass, and I rush to him, because I don't want him to knock himself silly!
Over all this has been a great experience. Most kids would never be able to say that they took care of a baby deer when they . Most adults would never be able to say it either! Nor would you be able to come home and tell him he needs to get out of the chair!
It gives you a soft spot in your heart for deer, no matter how much trouble they cause.
