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Author Topic: Sterility In Animals-Mainly Deer  (Read 4097 times)

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Offline DroptineDC18

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I was chatting with a farmer this past weekend, and I do not remember how it came up, but he informed me that if a cow has twins, and one is a heifer and one is a bull, the heifer will be sterile about 90% of the time.  So I did a little research and found this to be true, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. 

If anyone else knew this, do you think the same could be true for deer?  Would the doe fawn that is born with a buck fawn twin be sterile?  I ask because I have noticed groups of up to 5 or more adult does in the early archery season, and there was only 2 or 3 fawns with them.  I understand there is fawn mortality, but does anyone think it is possible that some of these does were a twin as a fawn and are sterile?

If that is the case it makes sense to shoot a doe fawn whenever there is an adult doe with a buck fawn and doe fawn as offspring.

If anyone has any research on this can you send it my way?

"One of the most common causes of failure is the habit of quitting when one is overtaken by temporary defeat." -Napoleon Hill

Offline Joe@deerhunters

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In most cases twin fawns are usually one of each sex.  Twins are the norm. I have never heard of issues regarding sterile fawns. The fact is the old myth of a dry doe does not exist if she is alive she can breed and carry. A DNR researcher has a doe radio collared over 15 years old still giving birth.

I not 100% sure but I don't think twins are the norm with cattle.