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[FlyingScissorKick]

I captured a few deer in cages so I built a zoo and placed them there. Awhile later I get a message stating, "A deer has given birth to deer fawns."

I figure they are in the cage that the parent deer was in. But while I was working away on something else, I noticed in my animal stockpile that I had 3 deer fawn cages. This stockpile is nowhere near the deer cages.

I did not specify for people to capture these animals....

[Paul]

When animals are born in cages they aren't assigned to the cages. Normally they are simply let out and wander around.

I've never had it happen with wild animals, but I guess dwarves must bring cages and put them in them when they are wild? Either that or they were let out and got caught in cage traps.

[FlyingScissorKick]

There are 3 raised bridges with pits seperating where the fawns were born to the cage traps so that's not the case.....

[Paul]

Are you sure the one in the cage was the one that gave birth?

Even wandering wild animals will give birth if they stay on the map long enough. Usually when they get stuck somewhere or injured and left at a spot for a long time or if they are otherwise engaged for a long time, like running away from something.

I once had a severely injured rhesus macaque get pushed into a dried up murky pool by one of my dogs. It was missing a few limbs and its body was mangled, but it still managed to give birth to new babies every year. It never even moved. By the time I eventually did anything about it (several years later) there was a veritable army of the lil buggers in the pit.

[FlyingScissorKick]

I guess I theoretically cannot confirm that a wild animal didn't give birth outside the fort. This still doesn't explain how they got into the cages in my fort.

I had the bridge up so they basically couldn't enter from outside if they were born outside the fort. I had the other bridge up so they couldn't leave the main area to get near the cage traps.....

[Toady One]

If animals are not tamed and they are set to be removed from a placed cage building, the dwarves should grab a cage and place the animal in the cage and then bring it to the stockpile.  Children don't get a cage assignment at this point when they are born.  Were there any free cages for the dwarves to use for this?

[FlyingScissorKick]

There was several free cages on the animal stockpile. If I'm not mistaken, I'm sure I tamed the deer and the offspring are also tame.

I will check on this.