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Which do you prefer and why?
Textured or Pellet feed?
- Thread starter PharmerBrown
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Sam,
We feed our deer eat textured feed. They look great and have done well with the pelleted feed we use.
Plus we think they should have a variety in there feed. Same as what they would consume in the wild. Yes they are picky about what they eat - Corn, beans, wheat, and pellet last but by the next feeding the bins are clean.
A pelleted feed is all these ingedience ground up, liquidfied then screwed into a pellet. Not much variety.
This is just my 2 cents.
We feed our deer eat textured feed. They look great and have done well with the pelleted feed we use.
Plus we think they should have a variety in there feed. Same as what they would consume in the wild. Yes they are picky about what they eat - Corn, beans, wheat, and pellet last but by the next feeding the bins are clean.
A pelleted feed is all these ingedience ground up, liquidfied then screwed into a pellet. Not much variety.
This is just my 2 cents.
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We use gravity feeders and a pelleted feed works best in them. We also have alfafa available for the deer and we do add a small amount of corn to the pelleted feed. We also feel there is less waste with the pelleted feed. We use Purina Antlermax 20.
Pellets for feeders and textured feed for daily treats. It is imperative to feed and be in your pens at least twice a day. Feeding daily treats, such as Purina textured feed, allows you to observe your deer closely. If your deer come running to the treat trough daily and eat great but one day you notice a straggler or two, you maybe catching them at an early infection (Fever) inwhich a dart or early treatment may save their life.. Good luck and God bless!!!
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drjoe said:
Great advice drjoe!(ie the treats)
One of my hardest learned lessons in the business. Even if it's just once a day, you'll catch more sick animals quicker and save more than you would have otherwise and that is for sure and for certain.
In other words guys, just don't fill your feeders periodically or if you hand feed daily, don't just feed and get out of there. Check on them regularly...and getting them eating some kind of treat regularly, whether it's Purina textured feed, bread, peanuts, fresh cut branches, etc, accomplishes the checking on them regularly. Feeding these treats daily as drjoe described is a great and efficient way to help monitor the health in your herd...It is HUGE!
Once again drjoe - Great advice!!
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Just why we like to go and throw peanuts to different pens every few days. It gives us a chance to take a good look at the deer when they come close to the truck.
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i prefer a pellet feed. with a pellet they get everything they need in every bite. in a textured feed the king or queen of the pen can go in and eat all of the "good stuff" such as corn or beans or something else then leave the rest for all the others. i have also found problems with birds eating the textured feed, and also mold problems in the summertime.
but like everyone else. just my opinion.
also to get a close look at them everyday i throw out a couple flecks of hay. we have a hard time keeping pastures here, so they really love it.
but like everyone else. just my opinion.
also to get a close look at them everyday i throw out a couple flecks of hay. we have a hard time keeping pastures here, so they really love it.