Feeding deer ?
- Thread starter Superdrazy
- Start date
Fed stags from end October until May each year hinds seldom came near this was for maintenance not for shooting
fed cattle cobs and chopped turnips some hay but hay is wasteful as they pull it from the rack and stand on it once its
been stood on they won't eat it.
Never fed Roe but know of one chap that had some success feeding potatoes probably better planting plants that Roe
find palatable in strategic places.
fed cattle cobs and chopped turnips some hay but hay is wasteful as they pull it from the rack and stand on it once its
been stood on they won't eat it.
Never fed Roe but know of one chap that had some success feeding potatoes probably better planting plants that Roe
find palatable in strategic places.
Mista Shot
Well-Known Member
Can be very productive , but they soon wise up so be prepared to move feeding stations around. Cheers.
Mista Shot
Well-Known Member
Apples carrots parsnips barley etc. etc. They will let you know their preferences.
kieran222
Well-Known Member
One of the issues with feeding deer as said before is that it aids the spread of TB which the land owner isn't likely to be too happy about. If you are going to feed them make sure that it is out of the reach of badgers to limit the spread of TB between badgers and badgers/deer.
I'm conducting a survey in which I need to bait deer to areas, and need to secure the chosen food to a fence post. Molasses and aniseed seem to be often mentioned as a good attractants for deer and found this method of creating blocks: Molasses Deer Lick
Opinions?
Sonicdmb73
Well-Known Member
My friend and former boss keeps Fallow. I used to collect old veg and colly trimmings from a Potato merchant I delivered to. The veg stalls on the market were another source. They also ate bread hay and fruit. Not much got wasted.
That's it then! not leaving my sandwiches laying about.
BC.
BC.
See post #29 by @slider
To the OP:
What species? Assuming Red?
Why is there a need to feed?
Here are some practises used on estates in Scotland.
In winter feed, most places nowadays will use maize cobs as a feed. Some will alternate with potatoes or turnips. Salt licks placed strategically also help.Tooth wear could be a consideration in feed choice.
A suggestion by A.J De Nahlik in his excellent book 'Wild Deer' (a must for all deer managers) was to assemble a stand that allowed a large tree trunk of appropriate species to be held horizontally and securely at a feeding station should be put in place. Deer that want to chew bark will then be able to satisfy their need.
What species? Assuming Red?
Why is there a need to feed?
Here are some practises used on estates in Scotland.
In winter feed, most places nowadays will use maize cobs as a feed. Some will alternate with potatoes or turnips. Salt licks placed strategically also help.Tooth wear could be a consideration in feed choice.
A suggestion by A.J De Nahlik in his excellent book 'Wild Deer' (a must for all deer managers) was to assemble a stand that allowed a large tree trunk of appropriate species to be held horizontally and securely at a feeding station should be put in place. Deer that want to chew bark will then be able to satisfy their need.
Freeforester
Well-Known Member
If you feed 'high energy' type feedstuffs then you have to continue to do so, i.e. once their metabolic rate has been increased from winter slow-down; if not, it is actually counterproductive, in that they will often move away to find a source of 'high input' foodstuffs.
It is seldom indeed that you will kill a deer with an empty stomach, usually a sign of something wrong with it; much deer range is to some degree deficient in one or more trace elements (-do the local farmers put out buckets of mineral supplements for their stock? If yes, you can bet it is not for charity, but good reason); most deer will of course happily use the available forage, but will get habituated to supplementing this forage with any source of good trace elements they are otherwise lacking, to help them fully convert the forage. This is the more cost effective strategy, but lower energy inputs will still maintain the deer, at a more natural (seasonally lower) metabolic rate.
You can spoil them with loads of food if money is no object, or you can supplement their trace elements to maximise their use of what is already available. Deer feeding on 'new' feedstuffs can literally die of starvation even with a full stomach though, owing to their gut flora being unable to convert to deal with the new foodstuff.
I brought a half tonne of mineral blocks to one head stalker I've supplied the past twenty-five plus years on an estate last weekend, he told me this winter his deer are eating much more silage than in other years, which he put down to the very wet autumn and early winter, which he considers basically washed much of the goodness out of the forage; it's conjecture, but all the same makes for a reasonable stab at the reason for their increased appetite for the silage.
It is seldom indeed that you will kill a deer with an empty stomach, usually a sign of something wrong with it; much deer range is to some degree deficient in one or more trace elements (-do the local farmers put out buckets of mineral supplements for their stock? If yes, you can bet it is not for charity, but good reason); most deer will of course happily use the available forage, but will get habituated to supplementing this forage with any source of good trace elements they are otherwise lacking, to help them fully convert the forage. This is the more cost effective strategy, but lower energy inputs will still maintain the deer, at a more natural (seasonally lower) metabolic rate.
You can spoil them with loads of food if money is no object, or you can supplement their trace elements to maximise their use of what is already available. Deer feeding on 'new' feedstuffs can literally die of starvation even with a full stomach though, owing to their gut flora being unable to convert to deal with the new foodstuff.
I brought a half tonne of mineral blocks to one head stalker I've supplied the past twenty-five plus years on an estate last weekend, he told me this winter his deer are eating much more silage than in other years, which he put down to the very wet autumn and early winter, which he considers basically washed much of the goodness out of the forage; it's conjecture, but all the same makes for a reasonable stab at the reason for their increased appetite for the silage.
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Beans (often called field beans) work really well with the added bonus that not much else seems to take them. Trouble is that most farmers around here have got rid of theirs by October so need to get them and have somewhere to store them ready for December/January.
Wapinschaw
Well-Known Member
I am a recreational stalker and don't pretend to be knowledgeable about the subject of deer diets beyond what I gained for DSC1. This has been a very informative discussion. Thanks to those who have contributed. One recurring observation is in reference to a sudden change of diet being potentially damaging, that makes a lot of sense. Perhaps this guy needs to be aware of that.
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