The opening of the preorbital glands in red deer (Cervus elaphus) calves has been hypothesized as signal to the mother of hungry, closing them as signal of receiving sufficient amount of milk. In bottle-reared calves was experimentally found the openingof the preorbital gland was associated with feeding and achieving satiety. Nevertheless, preorbital glands were not always open when the calves were hungry and did not vanish during the feeding in all cases.