Got me thinking about costs of feed per deer....

What are you guys spending on feed per deer on average? I forgot who wrote it, but I read in one of the posts recently....someone mentioned they raised goats, I think, and how cheap they were to raise per year (around $60). He agreed he'd spend a fortune if he used commercial feed on them, as most deer farmers do. So my question is this, what are you all feeding your deer and how much is it costing you per year? Per ton of feed? No reason to be specific on what's in your mix, just give example like 1/2 supplemental protein pellets with 1/2 alfalfa free choice bales, etc. if that makes sense. Clearly one of the biggest problems everyone in this industry seems to be having right now, is justifying the food bill. If you think about it, it all comes back to this (assuming there is a market for hunts, of course). Anyways, should be interesting what this thread will go into.

would fresh grass clippings from the golf coarse be good feed? or find a way to dry it first?

lawn grass would probably mold due to the high moisture content, also all the beer spilled on it would not be good for any deer under 21.



My cost per deer is about $80 per year and that is for pelleted feed $139 / MT

that is about 6.3 cents per pound

We spend $600.00 a ton for grain and mineral mix.That will last about 6 to 8 weeks free choice for 14 deer.We went thru about 70 small square bales of alfalfa this winter at $2.00 a bale.Keep the numbers low with Quailty animals and things are not to bad!!!

antler king / mixed feed /4th cutting alfalfa $250/ head/year.



genetics +nutrient + age = antler growth



shrink any of the first three and you will shrink the last one. Shrink the last one and you shrink your paycheck. Also whitetail aren't quite like goats.



browsers vs grazers ect...

Curtis, is your feed THAT much different? Such a difference in price compared to others.

I'm new to this and know this is a dumb question but I have to know the reasoning....why is it not possible to just feed the deer free choice alfalfa? Clearly it'd be the cheapest way to go if it were possible, I'd think.

fars said:

antler king / mixed feed /4th cutting alfalfa $250/ head/year.



genetics +nutrient + age = antler growth



shrink any of the first three and you will shrink the last one. Shrink the last one and you shrink your paycheck. Also whitetail aren't quite like goats.



browsers vs grazers ect...

Click to expand...

Very well put. We average out per year is $1.25 per head per day. Certain times of the year it fluctuates fawning, rut, winter, and antler growing. So we take an average feed rate of 3.5 lbs per day. During these certain times it can drop to 2lbs and go as high as 5lbs.



Now why not straight alfalfa. The quote above says it all. If you are looking at this as a business think of it as production!! Time + investment = return. The faster you produce the faster the return.



Genetics + nutrition + age = antler growth. We as deer farmers often substitute things in a deers diet such as minerals like calcium and phosphorus that helps them along in quicker more officiant ways other then straight forage. We do this in forms of pelleted or mixed feeds. To more or less ensure what is going into our animals are what is needed for them to be as healthy as possible witch in returns raises our level of business.



Not only is it about the money it is also about us as deer farmers being great care givers of these animals. As long as they are in our pens it is our job to create a thriving habitat that ensures there health and safety until it is there time to go to what ever market they are chosen for. And a well balanced diet leads to happier and healthier animals. So we to use a mixed sweet feed and alfalfa combination. Not just one or the other both. And im a firm believer you get out of your animals what you put into them!!



So good luck welcome to the industry and have fun, make some money, and enjoy.

I guess i should have pointed that out.We do give free choice alfalfa all year round.They get the alfalfa,clover,chicory that is growing in the pens and just to give them choices they get fresh cut alfalfa from a local farm thats tests at 22% protein.That is on top of the free choice grain,mineral mix we use.

yes, the $250/per head per year is close for us too..(.feed and alfalfa)

Well Put Circle J. If you try to cut corners to save a dime you'll lose a dollar and more importantly a Year. All the money can't buy time. Now lets add top dressing and vacination and testing....( syringes...needles...DRUGS...vet...darts and gun...etc ) I wish this site was around 10 years ago when I needed to know things!!! By the time we are done we could probably all be qualified Vets! ;-) Now what does it really cost to raise a deer anually. To supplement I also use Balage it is 24-25% protien dried at 30% moisture content. Stems are softer and easier for the deer to digest. If you are getting into the deer industry.. I would suggest ASK QUESTIONS & MAKE VISITS!!!! Just My Opinoin Is All.

Wow $400 a ton???Thats cheap as corn prices alone are up like crazy.Then add the minerals,beans,peas,pellets.....Well you get the point...Thats cheap!!!!

Here in the middle of nowhere... all grain is cleaned before shipping for export. All the chips,splits, damage, shriveled,deformed.... but still the same quality as the shipped grain is used for feed, we use field peas and lentils for the base of out pellet then we add wheat, oat, and barley screenings to get the ration down to 17% protein , we use a standard mineral pack and 50 lbs. of powered limestone per ton, one of the things that I think is most helpful in our feed is the use of "wild seeds" from weeds in our ration, the deer love it and they seem to get something from it that is not available when feeding straight commercial grain.

Our feed is $ 560. per ton

Feed cost around $320/ton for a 18% premium feed in Texas where I buy my feed. Total cost with free choice feed and alfalfa is about $250/deer/year.

There are nutrients in the alfalfa/clover that the grain does not provide. And there are nutrients in the grain that the alfalfa/clover does not provide. So yes w/o a doubt, you need to feed both. And $250+/yr is about right for me as well.

Our buck feed is $700.00 a ton

Our doe feed is $620.00 a ton

Our mixed grain,mineral,pellet feed runs 570 a ton and we feed Small bales of Imperial Whitetail clover/ Alfalfa in the winter with that @ 5$ a bale. Maybe expensive but it's nice to see your money going to big fawns healthy doe's and 200" 2yr olds that look good. It's all about THE DEER FARMERS EQUATION. Genetics+nutrition+Age= Big Antlers

Our buck feed is $624 per ton and our doe fed is $528 per ton plus alfalfa.

I was the one that broght up this question I got my first deer last yr. ( purely a pet/refrence for my taxidermy business) Been dealing with goats for a few. Deer are like goats they are both browsers that will graze when forced to. For my goats they get grain in larger ammounts when prego and lactating and in the late fall early winter other wise just mabey a cup a day just to keep them friendly. My whole point was it seems like you guys spend a ton of money to have a 200+ deer in 2 yrs. when with the same genitics with more of a natural seasonal type feeding program you could have the same 200+ deer in 3 yrs with half the cost wraped up in him PLUSS he wont be unporportional like a 250lb 8th grader.



For my deer the grass in her pen is Head high there is food plot mix, acorn trees. Maples that sprout up every yr and get mowed down. And when she comes up to feed she only eats about a cup or less this time of yr. I also walk out into the woods and cut her a few branches every day for treats.