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CameronCrow

Joined
May 3, 2009
Messages
101
Location
Texas
Do you feed the same feed to your entire herd or do you feed according to the needs of each individual group of deer ( fawns, bucks, open does, bred does...)?
 
You should start your fawns on that Purina Texture Feed (Yellow Bag), works real good .....they love it ......and they start eating early too... and for adult deer I feed Record Rack.
 
We use the same grain mix during the winter for all the deer. During the summer we have a buck and doe mix. We feed all of our fawns the same mix along with a probiotic to help them gain weight faster.
 
Im not trying to get into a feed company war... I was looking for more of a feed stratagy discussion
 
we feed a complete pellet 14% in fall and winter, 17% in spring and summer with extra calcium and powered limestone ....price 118- 128 per ton
 
we feed bucks and does same feed year round. Then we do give a little extruded soybean meal and top dress feed with calf mana during the growing season for the bucks. fawns get started on the bean meal and calfmana to start then slowly introduce our textured feed to them. We also add orimiacin crumbles 4% anytime stress is a factor! Our feed cost $540 a ton delivered
 
We too feed our bucks and does the same textured feed year round. It's all dumped out of the same sacks. At different times of the year I will have them mix wormer and auromiacin ( sp) with the regular mix.
 
I posted this question for a reason. They way I look at a deer herd the same as I do a cattle operation. I try to look at the cattle industry to better my management of deer herds. Whether it is feed, breeding, weaning, advertizing, semen, or more I see very similar comparisons between the two industries.



So here is my question: If the value of our livestock is higher than other livestock, why haven't we learned to feed our livestock in a similar fashion. A calf, cow, heifer, bull, steer, or dairy cow are all fed differently, so why don’t we (as an industry) feed a fawn, yearling doe, yearling buck, buck, dry doe, and lactating doe different according to their needs? Is it inconvenience, ignorance, or just a lack of effort? I have feed this way and can tell you it requires a small increase in feed time, but the benefits DO out way the cost of time. In my opinion…



What do you think?
 
Well Cameron you started this thread so maybe you should explain YOUR feed program! it seems you have one so lets hear about it! Maybe it will help help others not be lazy,ignorant and inprove our efforts! So I for one am interested in yor opion! Please tell us more
 
Please understand i am not trying to "show off"" but gather other opinions and ideas.



The feed program that I recommend has a fawn feed, buck feed, dry doe feed, wet doe feed, AI doe feed, and Live bred doe feed. It is a program designed by the refuge ranch and lyssy and eckel feed. It also has an antibiotic during certain times of year for EHD or pneumonia.
 
Cameron, for me it not lack of anything. The effort, will, try and care is FIRST AND FOREMOST. Our nutritionist designed our feed and feeding program and I will put it up to anyones. I guess what works in northern Oklahoma may not work in Texas, Alabama or some of the other warmer cliamates. Some folks will always have a better way ( in their own opinion) than others. Find what works for you, your area and your deer.





P.S. what is this "certain times of the year for EHD " stuff.... everyone knows Texas deer are RESISTANT to that...lol j/k
 
One thing that concerns me when I see a feed manufacturer tout antibiotics to prevent EHD is that EHD is a virus, not an infection and only the secondary infections caused by EHD will benefit from antibiotic therapy. The only way I know of to "prevent" EHD if there is such a thing is a vaccine and a herd with EHD resistance history. I am not putting down on the feed with the antibiotics in it, just the fact that some actually advertise it will help prevent EHD.
 
Cameron, I think this question would be best suited for the gentleman who have consistantly raised the biggest whitetails in the country. I for one have been very fortunate in that I have got to see the feed being used by some of the best deer farmers. I do generally see different mixes for bucks and does during antler growing season but a lot of them use one mix during the winter months. Keep in mind, what might be the best for Nathan Blosser might not be the best for the Griffiths brothers due to climate, parasite conditions etc. We can guess all day as to what nutrition levels are right but without a CBC test (Complete blood count) you are guessing. I also agree with Scott on the use of antibiotics for EHD. Just my two cents worth.
 
Cameron,



I've used the same balanced pellet for all my deer the last 4 years. 18.5/5/15 (protein/fat/fiber) most of the year and 20/5/15 during the growing season. 2:1 Calcium to Phosphorous and all protein from soybeans. I'm very familiar with Lyssy and Eckel's feeding program and I've spoken to Ronnie several times about switching to them. I'm just not sure about all this switching feeds 4 times a year, but after losing so many fawns this year I'm pretty open to change
 

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