Whether to wean before or after the rut was a hotly-debated topic when deer were all over the Manawatu. Those who remain in the industry have generally settled on whatever policy seems to best suit their environment and marketing plan for their young deer.
The list of health issues for fawns around weaning time is well known. The relative importance of each disease varies depending on whether weaning is pre- or post-rut.
Yersiniosis: Pre-rut weaned fawns are more susceptible to this cause of scouring and death, and therefore more likely to be vaccinated. Severe outbreaks have been recorded in fawns weaned post-rut, so late weaning is not necessarily insurance against yersiniosis.
Worms: Early-weaned fawns are more susceptible to outbreaks of lungworm, and production loss from gut parasites. Where they are regularly treated for worms, the build-up of larvae on the pasture in autumn reduces. Fawns that remain on mum are often not drenched, and there may be more potential in these systems for the autumn rise in pasture larvae to be higher and more prolonged, with the potential to create higher challenge through winter. If you haven't had a chat with your vet about drench choice recently, do so - our advice on combination use changes as different products become available.
Feet: ‘Necrobacillosis' is a longwinded term for a condition that is caused by physical damage to the feet. Some lines of weaners can be severely affected.
Leptospirosis: the devastation of an outbreak of deaths caused by lepto has prompted some producers to vaccinate for it. This type of lepto is caused by one particular strain, but there is another that deer carry without such dramatic consequences. Work by researchers at Massey is showing that where this second strain is present, it may be having negative effects on weaner growth, and the reproductive performance of young hinds.
Come to our deer seminar on Wednesday 3rd March 2010 to hear the latest on necrobacillosis and lepto.
