Backstory - short version
We high fenced about 400 acres in Leon County in 2011. We killed off most the natives and brought in pen raised deer starting in 2012. Our first year we had a great fawn survival rate as we kept the deer in about a 5 acre pen. We released the deer shortly afterward.
Fast forward, the last several years our fawn crop has been minimal. A few here, a few there. Each summer some of our deer start losing weight and we lose a few adult deer every year around August/September/October.
We finally got a confirmation that our fecal sample contained Hookworms. The only info I can find out on the internet is related to hookworms in dogs.
Does anyone have any experience with hookworms or does anyone have a good resource to contact?
Most likely we'll be looking for a dewormer that doesn't impact pregnancy or nursing mothers.
We have done some positive changes this year by feeding cotton seed and spreading out the deer by using more smaller feeding stations rather than fewer larger stations to reduce the amount of fecal matter in a single area. We are also going to put down crushed concrete under our feeders so the fecal matter isn't falling on the soil where the deer potentially will lay down.
Overall our deer look fantastic outside of a few does that are skinny and without fawns - this is the sample that revealed hookworms but we're trying to keep them from spreading. We typically deworm in May and again in September. Thanks in advance!!
I attached a picture of one of our five year old that is coming along nicely.
We high fenced about 400 acres in Leon County in 2011. We killed off most the natives and brought in pen raised deer starting in 2012. Our first year we had a great fawn survival rate as we kept the deer in about a 5 acre pen. We released the deer shortly afterward.
Fast forward, the last several years our fawn crop has been minimal. A few here, a few there. Each summer some of our deer start losing weight and we lose a few adult deer every year around August/September/October.
We finally got a confirmation that our fecal sample contained Hookworms. The only info I can find out on the internet is related to hookworms in dogs.
Does anyone have any experience with hookworms or does anyone have a good resource to contact?
Most likely we'll be looking for a dewormer that doesn't impact pregnancy or nursing mothers.
We have done some positive changes this year by feeding cotton seed and spreading out the deer by using more smaller feeding stations rather than fewer larger stations to reduce the amount of fecal matter in a single area. We are also going to put down crushed concrete under our feeders so the fecal matter isn't falling on the soil where the deer potentially will lay down.
Overall our deer look fantastic outside of a few does that are skinny and without fawns - this is the sample that revealed hookworms but we're trying to keep them from spreading. We typically deworm in May and again in September. Thanks in advance!!
I attached a picture of one of our five year old that is coming along nicely.
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