Textured Feed, Who has a good mix?

We also mix our own here on the farm. Alot of times we use corn or soybean oil rather than molasses to keep the minerals and stuff in contact with the feed!!

ddwhitetails said:

With pellets the deer are getting all of the minerals and things that are added to the feed where with textured feed they can pick through it and leave a bunch of the good stuff to waste....I currently feed textured but am going to try and switch to pellets......I also understand that when feeding pellets it helps a lot with any bird problems you may be having as well..........just somethings to consider......once the deer get used to the pellets and acquire a taste for them, they will eat as good as they do with the textured feed. This is my opinion........

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We used to use a straight pellet as well and had good results. We later found in our research that the Pallet-ability of a straight pellet was tough on our deer. The digestibility of an Alfalfa based pellet and other materials they use is hard on there rumen.



In a nut shell and talking about pallet-ability it is easier for a deer to digest natural, unprocessed ingredients than what it is to digest manufactured ones. Its like eating a burger straight from the butcher shop and eating one from McD's. One of them leads you straight to Bathroom and the other fills you up! I have seen a real nice test on this by HeadGear LLC. ( I do not use there feed but found it does tie in to my Logic) They stick the pellet they use in there textured feed in water and show you how there pellet, for lack of better word, dissolves and how other pellets on the market just swell up!



I understand what you are saying and believe the idea is solid. Deer will pick through a textured feed and with a pellet they are all in theory getting the right nutrition. I just question from my research the digestibility of these process pellets.



I do think a good pellet should be the main part of a deers diet. And that a good feed is based around a great pellet. I just believe there are nutritional values in additional natural unprocessed products you find in a Textured feed.

Good points Mathew........I do worry about with going to the pellet that you take the chance of your feed quality going down.....I have heard stories about them using moldy corn and stuff fir the pellet feed.........i guess just like anything else there are ups and downs to everything.......just need to figure out which scenario has less downs...lol!

Also depends on the feed mill you are dealing with. We've used several over the years and really happy with the one we have now. They are prompt on their delivery and the consistency has been great. We feel confident they are providing what we ask for. I'm not sure if Purina dealers have to adhere to certain standards or what - but I would think so.