![]() ![]() Works: As many feeders as financially affordable spread evenly across the ranch. Works: Good quality feeders that keep out moisture and are in a feed pen at least 60’ diameter to exclude non-target animals such as livestock, feral hogs and javelina.ĭoesn’t Work: Leaky feeders that let in moisture to spoil feed or placed in a feed pen so small that deer are afraid to jump in or only a couple of deer can get in at any one time. Here are some situations that illustrate what does and does not allow a supplemental feeding program to be successful: So, does supplemental feeding work? The answer is yes, as long as it is part of the bigger management plan. Fawns that receive a good start at life get bigger and stronger and therefore increase their chances of survival, especially as winter approaches. If you provide an additional source of feed, the does will be healthier and able to carry, deliver and nurse a healthier fawn(s). Providing supplemental feed ensures that the buck will have enough to eat no matter what the native forage is providing so that his body will be healthy enough to support the growth of antlers to his full genetic potential. If supplemental feeding was used during post-rut, the buck would not sink to such a low nutritional level and his body would not have to play “catch up” from a nutritional perspective. When he is malnourished or pulled down from the rigors of the rut and lack of rainfall his body go into a self-preservation mode (thus why skinny bucks shed earlier) in order to stay alive. By waiting until July or August to feed the bucks something extra or special is way too late.Ī buck begins growing his antlers approximately one week after shedding the previous set. It is meant to be used year around and to SLOWLY and STEADILY help the deer stay in top physical condition. It is not a “cure all” designed for a specific period of time. It simply is a supplement to level out the peaks and valleys of the nutritional swings the habitat typically goes through as the seasons or weather patterns change. You need to worry about the quality of the feed, as a total package, so that when a deer does eat it, he/she gets what they need and when they need it. Don’t get caught up worrying about the highest amount of protein. This is why the amount of protein on the bag means very little. ![]() Some deer eat two bites and leave while others camp out and eat four to six pounds of feed per day. And his or her stomach tells them when and how much to eat. ![]() In the pasture, the deer makes the choice to eat or not to eat protein. They eat it only when they need it, when the habitat is stressed or defoliated. As you likely know, when it rains, deer won’t eat the protein. ![]() When the rains are right and the stars line up, we can’t even compete with Mother Nature. Supplemental feeding is just that–a supplement. Of course, there are different degrees of supplementation and how it is used and its effectiveness, but a supplemental feeding program’s primary responsibility is to lessen the blows of low nutrition and keep the deer on a more level nutritional plane throughout the year. Supplemental feeding is a safety net or an insurance policy against periods of low nutritional value and/or availability. Seasonal cycles, weather patterns and man-made disturbances can cause the nutritional value and availability of native deer foods to be unpredictable with a wide swings in quality. As it’s name implies, supplemental feeding is something done to augment or increase the natural feed available to deer. Supplemental feeding in the form of pelleted feed is a valuable tool in the serious deer manager’s tool belt, as it provides two things: consistency and a higher level of nutrition. ![]()
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