First Fawn of the rehab season, continues

The old thread was getting pretty long so I thought I’d start it over. I'd put a link in here for the old one, but have no clue how to do it.

These are photos of Buckwheat chilling in the back yard. You'll notice the full tummy that’s two quarts of formula, an apple and a couple ears of fresh corn on the cob. (The corn was supposed to be MY dinner, but I turned my back for a moment...) I had to get him out of the chicken pen today and discovered that he is about 60 pounds. He has tiny little bumps on his head where his antlers are starting. He's a pretty happy boy these days. He is here in the morning waiting for his bottle (he would be fully weaned in the wild) and then he pesters me while I do my morning chores. Then he disappears for several hours and comes back in early evening for his dinner bottle. (Another 2 quarts) He hangs out for awhile and then leaves again for the night. Sometimes he comes home all muddy so I know he has been in the swamp. Frequently in the morning, he is full of tiny little burs and as he eats his bottle, the Narragansett turkeys pick them off. (It's like he's a rinoceros and has his own ox peckers)

He loves green beans, corn on the cob, Swiss chard and formula. He likes nothing better than to go in the garden with me and raid it. I dread the day he discovers where the carrots are and there will be no keeping him out after that. I always leave kale, chard, carrots and Brussels sprouts in the garden after the last frosts. The garden gate stays open all winter and it gives the deer extra food.

We've been having a bit of a problem with Buckwheat the last two weeks. He is nearing puberty and I am the obvious target of his affections. Normally, I have more than one fawn and they experience with each other. I guess he figures all he has is the dog or me and the dog gets pretty crabby. This too shall pass. I'll just be real careful where and when I bend over in the yard!

It's been a busy couple of days at Ranch Rehab. Two days ago, I got in two mourning dove babies, yesterday, a sharp tailed grouse, and today yet another baby possum and 4 squirrels. (Right in the middle of canning peaches!) One of the mourning doves is missing its foot and much smaller than its sibling, but with some extra food, he's coming along pretty well. I think it will be able to function with only one foot since it lost it when it was only a day or so old. The sharp tail has a concussion and will be able to be released in a few days. The possum was still in its dead mother's pouch on the highway and the squirrels, well who knows what happened to their mother. The walked up to some people at a barb-b-q. They had been on their own for three or four days and are underweight, but not dehydrated

It's funny how squirrels will walk right up to humans when they are orphaned and hungry. I once got one from the local college. He crawled in through an open window and climbed up in the student’s laps. Luckily the professor knew about me. He fed him some peanut butter crackers and zipped him in a backpack. He was still sleeping in the bottom when they brought him to me.

Well, it's late and I have babies to feed and butts to wash. Night.

Close up. Notice the smile.

I love your postings about your critters. Keep up the good work and keep sharing your activities with us, please.

Judy

he is becoming quite a handsome fellow!!

What a sweet smile! I wish I lived near you, because I would come over and give you a hand.
Your post brought tears to my eyes. Ann

Buckwheat is a handsome young man.

Awwww He's beautiful! I love hearing about all of your creatures. God will surely bless you greatly for your care of His critters. I'll say a special prayer for the little fella without a foot. Poor baby!

I was wondering if you are able to accept donations. It's got to cost you a fortune to help these animals.

Thanks for sharing your stories with us. You make it feel like we are right there. I laughed out really loud when I read about not bending over. Too funny!

Janet

I occasionally take donations from people dropping off animals, but mostly, I encourage them to buy food or plant habitat plants in their yards. I sculpt fairies and Santas and sell them on ebay and shows at Christmas and that usually pays for the animals food. I've been trying to get some of the local feed stores and vets to donate expired formula and food when they have it. I contacted the Kent feed company as I used to use their all species formula exclusively, to get a discount, but got nowhere.

My husband figures that he's lucky, I could be spending the money on booze, ciggarettes or home shopping network. Though lately, a drink sounds pretty good. Yea, that's the ticket....a drink with a little umbrella served by a good looking towel boy on a beach.....

lol lol "a drink with a little umbrella served by a good looking towel boy on a beach"

Better yet a good looking towel boy helpin' out with feeding and cleaning the "critters".

Judy

I'd be getting that towel boy to do the butt washing! HAHAHAHA

I think someone who would wash a baby squirells butt would be just about the perfect man. I've been able to get my husband to feed the occasional baby coon or fawn, but that's about it till it's time to release them. Well, unless they're clean and fed, then he will play with them. I found him snuggled on the couch one day with 3 baby foxes under his blanket.

I can't complain, he does build nice cages....but my drink never has an umbrella...

"but my drink never has an umbrella... "
maybe it should with all those birds flying around.

Hmmmm, how does you husband look in a beach towel? Perhaps you could extend his job description? *grin*

Buckwheat is indeed a fine looking young man. Thank you for taking care of these lovely creatures and posting their adventures for us to share.

My husband looks good in anything, especially that sexy little carpenter apron. Now If I could get him to wear ONLY the apron.....

For all you people who were talking about a book....I'm working on it....But remember, If I write it.......you must buy!

BWAAA_HA_HA_HA_HAAAAAAA

Tonight is the first night that Buckwheat didn't come in for his bottle. He was here this morning and hung around pestering the turkies for a while, but then dissapeared into the woods. It's a good thing that he is ready to give up (at least ONE of his twice daily bottles) the bottle, he drinks a gallon of formula a day now. He also loves apples, but only the expensive ones and then he wants them cut into bite size pieces. (Noooo, he's not spoiled!)

His spots are nearly gone and his antler buds are visable. One of his favorite tricks now is to stand in the garden and wait for cars to go by. They almost always stop and point and he thinks he's hot stuff.

This has been squirrel week. I got in 3 on the weekend and 3 yesterday. That brings us up to 9. All grays and blacks so they can be released in the yard. (I never let reds loose around the house.)

I'm not sure if I mentioned in any earlier posts that I have a very small possom. It's a bit bigger than a mouse and quite the charecter. She sleeps in sleeping bags made of old army blanket bits and has a heating pad for cold nights. She is eating out of a dish (actually a jar lid), but I seriously doubt that she will be ready to go on her own this fall. I'll probably over winter her in one of the big cages or at least fix her a sleeping box in one of them so she has a warm place to sleep at night. I worry about possoms when they come in so small. There is something in the mother's milk, that I've never been able to duplicate with various formulas and they don't always grow properly or survive to adulthood.

Well, time for the last feeding pf the night.

How's Buckwheat doing? Still coming home for that 1 bottle?

Curious -- does this cooler weather change their attitude at all, especially since he's getting older and maturing?

Good questions tcs!

Wheaties is doing great. I thought he would gve up one of his bottles, but he rarely misses a meal. Morning and evening, he is here waiting. I think something must have happened to the little fawn he was hanging out with or else thy have moved to a new location as I don't see them any more and he seems to be hanging around the yard a lot lately. He has a regular schedule. I call him for breakfast about 8:30 then he "helps" me feed the other animals, then he dissapears for most of the day and shows back up between 3 and 5. He gets his second half gallon of milk and then hangs around if there is anything intresting going on and then dissapears for the night.

The last few days when the weather was bad, I would find him snoozing in his old pen. Today I was moving plants around the yard and he, of course had to particapate. He tasted and pulled everything I planted. It was like I was prepairing a buffet just for him.

We have a group of construction workers renting a house down the street. Every evening that the weather is nice, they will be out front relaxing with a few brews. The other night I ganced out the window and noticed that my Narragansett turkies were down there. (I found out that the guys entice them with treats). I went down to retrieve them and one of them mentioned that there was the most amazing little deer around that let them get as close as 20 feet. I said "oh, you mean this one" and called Buckwheat. He of course came running right to me. After he got used to the guys (and one wife), he got more friendly with them and even ate corn from their hands. They were absolutely enchanted and every cell phone was clicking photos to send home. The wife said she had had a really bad week and Buckwheat just wiped it all away.

Now I know that there are even more eyes watching out for him in the neighborhood. The must be putting out really good treats too and this morning he came home with powdered sugar on his whiskers and doughnut breath.

Enjoy the photos it's hard to get good shots when he loves the camera so much!

Hi Ma!

Are you in there?

Check ut these antlers!

:D he is so cute!

And.... therein like the reason I cannot hunt deer. Except with a camera.

He's absolutely adorable!!!

I love the doughnut breath. I had to go tell my hubby about that story. :-) He appreciated it also.

Sooooooooo cute.

Janet, I am so glad you put a link on the old thread - this is still the most endearing story ever!!!

You are quite welcome. It came up on my watched threads this morning. I have enjoyed it immensely and found the 2nd thread quite by accident. I intended to do it back when I found the 2nd one, but had so much catching up to do that I totally forgot.

The antics of Buckwheat and his friends would be a wonderful series for the Articles. :-) (wriggling my eyebrows at jyl) Perhaps it would get others interested in doing the same thing, which can only be a good thing for the creatures. This thread is so inspirational and enlightening. The characters are all adorable. Should she decide to publish a book, excerpts from these threads (and articles?) could be included.

Thank you again for providing us all with so much pleasure. :-)

Janet

Thanks Janet, I needed that today.
I want everyone to know that I am working on a book. It will be all little stories about the animals and people I come across with the rehab work. It will be tied together with the diary of three fawns I raised one summer. I so appreciate all the encouragement I get from you all.

I promise, I won't stop with the site either! Thanks for putting up the link to the last section for me. Someday I will figure it out.

would love to get a book when available keep up the good wrk

Thanks! Know any desperate publishers?

Yep, be sure to tell us where we can get one when the time comes... I'd love to share it with my grandkids, and then maybe donate it to a school or something.

Oh My gosh, I am so glad to have found your thread. A beautiful story(ies)!
I am definatley watching this thread.
What wonderful people you are! And all rehabbers.
Please, tell how you started doing this.
I too think a book is awsom, can hardly wait.

Any Buckwheat update?

Is he still snacking on donuts? [that is just too cute]

in the past, do your deer stick around for the winter, or are they off on their own by then?