What To Plan For With A Supplemental Feeding Program
How much does it cost to supplemental feed deer? I wish there was an easy answer for this. However, there are too many variables to take into consideration. But, to help get a good idea of how much it will cost for you to supplemental feed deer, here are some things you should know.
Supplemental feed is not a primary feed. It is supplemental. Meaning, deer should eat off their native habitat to survive and use supplemental feed when it is most beneficial for them.
To try to get an answer on how much it will cost to feed deer, I turn to the captive deer breeding industry where they are a wealth of information for people interested in growing and managing deer herds in free range conditions.
We can learn a lot from deer breeders. Captive herds provide great opportunities for research. On many captive deer facilities that I work with, keep in mind that these pen deer receive 100% of their diet from the feed that is provided them. This feed is the same type of feed that hunters and landowners use to feed deer on a free ranging herd.
When it comes to captive deer feed consumption, a mature buck will consume anywhere between 4 to 7 pounds of feed a day. And the amount of consumption will vary depending upon what nutritional needs the deer has and that is dictated by the time of year.
Imagine if you were a deer having to root around and find 4 to 7 pounds of deer feed in the pasture every day. I think that would be pretty difficult.
Why does consumption vary that much? When bucks are growing antlers, there is a tremendous need for nutrition as this (approximately 120 day period) is when their bodies are requiring lots of nutrients to grow big antlers. Serious deer breeders monitor how many pounds bucks consume a day and it’s almost become something to brag about. The more quality feed we can get them to eat during the antler growing time, the better.
Again in a deer breeding pen, when antlers are grown and velvet is rubbed off, a buck’s nutritional needs change and their feed consumption will drop off. This reduction is normal and happens not only on captive deer, but also on wild free ranging deer.
Bottom line is that consumption changes throughout the year on bucks. But it also changes throughout the year on does too as does have nutritional stress they go through too.
When does are lactating and nursing their fawns, there is a heavy demand for quality feed. But as the fawns are weaned (typically around 90 days) the does are run down from raising their fawns and now their bodies have to recover before breeding season begins. If they don’t recover properly, they will not have as successful of a fawn crop the next season.
So how many pounds of supplemental feed will deer need per year? Again, I turn to the deer breeding industry. Deer breeders typically figure a deer will consume about a ton of feed per year. In a free ranging situation it will vary greatly as range conditions change all the time.
A good rule of thumb I tell people is to expect to feed wild deer about a pound a day. Budgeting for this is a way to at least get a good idea of how much it will cost to start your supplemental feeding program. Now, the next question, how many deer do you have? I will cover that in the next column.
Article written by Keith Warren, host of The High Road