Feeling Your Oats

Posted on by Littlesundog

In the mornings after FD and I feed Emma and Ronnie, we often observe the two of them liven things up a bit before we have to go on with our day. With a little breakfast in their bellies, they become great warriors of the woodlands. They run faster than I can imagine, leaping high and broad, pivoting quickly while changing course, and then stopping on a dime. Watching them, I am reminded of the times in life when I have felt exuberant and unstoppable – times when I felt the very energy of the Universe running through me. The expression “Feeling Your Oats” is truly one for mornings… after having a great breakfast. In this case, it is Fox Valley Nutrition’s Whitetail Deer Milk Replacer. This formula, along with Purina Antler Max deer feed and a broad variety of deer-friendly greens planted in the deer pen, provides Ronnie and Emma with all the nutrients they need to be healthy, strong, and vibrant – Zoom Zoom!

I cannot explain the difficulty of getting this shot trying to hold the bottles in one hand for these two milk "shakers"!
I cannot explain the difficulty of getting this shot trying to hold the camera in one hand and the bottles in the other hand for these two milk “shakers”!

 

Turn up the volume a bit so you can hear the vocal delight of these two!

© 2016 Day by Day the Farm Girl Way…

41 thoughts on “Feeling Your Oats”

  1. Deer-lightful! It is so interesting that in such a short time they trust you so much. Thank you, thank you for sharing your experience with us. Take care. xx

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    1. Good morning Ardys! I tried to capture some activity this morning but they seem to like to frolic and run at the second feeding in mid-morning. Emma has gotten constipated of all things, so perhaps she wasn’t in much of a mood to get frisky! 😀

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    1. Ha ha! Yes, Yvonne, “Fast as Lightning” is exactly what they are. It’s unreal how strong those legs are and the speed they move along at. We hope to expand the pen a little to gain some better shade for them and it will allow a little more running space. The difficulty is helping them understand the limitations. I’m not sure they always see the barrier (fence). Emma’s had a few crashes into the fence when she gets a little too silly running. We have ordered some shade mesh to help with shading the pen and creating more of a visual barrier. I hope that works!

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  3. This makes me so smile so big. Love seeing these two little ones run all over the place. Great bottle shot, well done! Thank you!

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    1. Ha ha! Katy, those two are just a mess at second feeding. Emma drinks so hard and fast that she shakes the bottle and I can barely keep hold of it. Ronnie isn’t as forceful but he “talks” a lot while he’s drinking and he gives the bottle a good head bop every so often (like they would head butt a doe’s udder to bring milk down). Meanwhile, FD is usually at the other end, helping the bathroom business get started. Thankfully, Emma can do her potty business by herself and only Ronnie needs stimulation.

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    1. How funny, Paulette! “Eat and run” pretty much defines the mid-morning breakfast. The earlier feeding (at 5:30 in the morning) isn’t as rambunctious. Maybe it’s because the parents are putting off too much sleepy energy! 😀

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    1. Thanks Henri. That’s one thing I do like about the iPhone. It’s easy to do video and it’s so handy since I have my cell with me pretty much all of the time (except when I’m mowing).

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    1. They are doing so well! The running and playing is hilarious! Mornings are a lot of fun. The heat in the afternoon has them a little more lethargic, looking for a nice shady spot!

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  10. Lori, I soooo love your writings. Thank you sooo much for sharing your experiences and being so open and sharing such awe inspiring videos and photos. I know your life is not easy, but there are many times I find myself longing for that life so close to nature. I know your heart is broken to the core right now and it will be a long time healing. Please know I care , even if I don’t write much. Often times I just don’t know what to say and I can’t write like you do. I admire you so much. I think the only thing that saved me when Chinsir passed was that I had 2 furbabies that needed me. And Taishi looks a lot like a young healthy Chinsir. To this day, I have been known to call him Chinsir. I believe he was a gift to help me through that grief and give me a taste and reminder of what my young healthy Chinsir boy was like, Often times when I am brushing or grooming Taishi, I get flashbacks of Chinsir. And when I run my hand down Taishi’s back, sometimes I find myself instinctively feeling for that mole Chinsir had. and then I scold myself for not realizing this is a different dog. I lost Chinsir over 5 years ago. Zoe will always be with you. In time , it will get easier, but will never go away. For now, allow yourself to grieve and move through it. We can’t go around it, we have to just keep going through it. Hugs and love.

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    1. Oh, thank you Karen! That made my day! I don’t think anyone’s life is easy. We all take our turn at difficulty and hard times. I think this week will be easier for me. Last night we had a storm move through and I thought of poor Zoe and how she got so anxious during storms and was quite terrified of them. Though I missed the ritual of soothing her nerves last night, I was also able to find comfort in knowing she would no longer be stressed and terrified any more. Her pain and discomfort is gone. And when I watch these two fawns, and Daisy and hers… and the other does and fawns of the woodlands, and I realize the beauty of the cycle of life. It helps to heal the heart to be in the middle of so much life. 🙂

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    1. Ha ha! Thanks Audrey. These two are hilarious to watch. These two are way more vocal than Daisy was. I’m glad the iPhone is pretty good at capturing the audio and putting out decent video.

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    1. Mandeep, thank you so much for thinking of me. Most of the time it wouldn’t be a problem, but all I’m managing right now is to answer comments and try, try, try to put together simple posts – photos with not so many words – to keep folks updated on the deer. I am not very focused at this point. I hope you’ll forgive me for declining on the offer. 😦

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      1. no problem at all. One of my blogger friends invited me and I was supposed to do it for three days straight but managed only once. FORGOT after that. Too many things to focus on, as you said. We’re in the same boat!

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  14. Cute photo and really cute video. These deer are playing just like small dogs like to play. Running each other around until they get tired. At least I am sure they are sleeping well at night after using up all that deer energy.

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  16. Hi Lori, What an emotional roller coaster you are on! It is challenging when we hold in our lives at the same time, those things which are joyful such as the frolicking of the fawns and those things which bring sorrow such as the grief brought by the death of Zoe.

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    1. You make a good point, Margaret. I think the fawns have helped me move past some of the deep grieving and focus on their needs. They’re a delight to watch and even while I sit with them after bottle feeding, nature shows me many things. For instance, today I saw a Mockingbird on the back of a squirrel and the squirrel was running as fast as its four legs could carry it before it dove into the deer pen weeds! I suspect the squirrel was raiding eggs from a nest. That Mockingbird looked hilarious on the back of the squirrel… like the squirrel had wings! It’s been good for me to have the fawns… and nature, in order to heal.

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  17. LOVE THE VIDEO!!!! I vote for more video!! I can’t believe I’m missing out on these two little fawns 😦 So glad to see Ronnie is healing well and running around! This just made my day. I miss you guys! Tell FD hi for me 🙂

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    1. Yes, you’d crack up at those two. The 10:30 feeding is the best time to watch them get silly. Hopefully, you’ll get fawn/deer time in with that great backyard view you have!! 🙂

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  18. Oh my goodness they are a treat to watch fly around like that. Hilarious! Yes, doesn’t it remind us of our youth when we seemed to have the energy to do anything. Having fed many goat kids and lambs before I know how hard it can be to hold the bottle still when they are butting and shaking so you did very well to get that shot of both of them feeding while juggling the camera! A gorgeous post, Lori. I hope caring for them helps you heal a little over Zoe. Hugs. x

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    1. Thank you, Jane. I guess I am going to have to hone my skills at action video! They are a hilarious pair and so much fun to watch. They are very much like goat kids. And yes, caring for these two helps with my emotional state. I keep very busy these summer days… but the evenings are difficult.

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