By: Evers, Elizabeth Erin, Evaluation of passive transfer immunity and predicting survivability in newborn white-tailed deer fawns. Master of Science (Agriculture), May, 2017, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas.
Study objectives "were to determine an on-farm methodology to indicate successful passive transfer of immunity and to identify physical characteristics that may be used to predict the survivability of pen-raised white-tailed deer fawns." Excerpt follows:
Conclusion
Immunoglobulin gamma (IgG) is an antibody directly passed through doe colostrum to the fawn that is often used as a marker for the success or failure of passive transfer. Currently, the industry standard measurements for successful passive transfer are established for cattle and horses but no such standards exist for white-tailed deer. The objectives of this research were to establish successful passive transfer immunity industry standards and on-farm methods for evaluating health as well as to evaluate a handheld digital refractometer in the measurement of IgG in pen-raised white-tailed deer fawns.
Fawns that survived had a greater cannon length and body weight at birth than fawns that
died. In the current study, fawns that survived had greater serum concentrations of IgG
than fawns that died and the refractometer reading of total protein was most closely
correlated with results from the RID assay. In addition, serum Brix value as determined
by the refractometer appears to be the best on-farm indicator of passive transfer and
predictor of survivability in white-tailed deer fawns. These results indicate that a digital refractometer is an acceptable on-farm tool in evaluating passive transfer and predicting survivability of newborn white-tailed deer fawns. In addition, fawns that survived had a greater cannon length and birth weight than fawns that died. These results indicate that body size may also be related to survivability in white-tailed deer fawns; however, additional research in white-tailed deer fawns is needed to establish more precise predictors of survivability.
Disclosure: "Concentrations of IgG in serum were measured by [Triple J Farms'] radial immunodiffusion (RID) kits."
