Role of nutrition in antler development...

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dan
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Role of nutrition in antler development...

Unread postby dan » Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:02 pm

White-tailed Deer
Role of Nutrition in Antler Development

In one of the early studies conducted at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area, TPWD biologists collected a group of buck fawns from throughout the state of Texas. They bottle raised these fawns, weaned them in September, and placed each fawn in an individual pen. They studied the fawns in the pens for 4 years. One group was fed a low protein diet of 8%. The other group was fed a high protein diet of 16%. research facility).


Image

This is a slide of antlers from 2 deer in the study, and illustrates what we saw. The deer on the left was fed a low protein diet; the deer on the right a 16% protein diet. Of all the deer fed a low protein diet, not one turned out to be a spike. This was not expected. When you feed them that poorly, you expect to grow some spikes. We became suspicious of our feed and had it reanalyzed. We found out the feed company had done us a favor. They sent us 10.5% protein feed instead of 8%. The Low (left) side #1 is the first set of antlers produced by the deer that was fed a 10.5% protein diet, 4 pounds a day. His second set, #2, was produced on a diet of 8% protein, 4 pounds a day. The third set, #3, was grown with 8% protein, 5 pounds a day. The fourth set resulted from a diet of 8% protein, 4 pounds a day. The deer on the right was fed a 16% protein diet, 4 pounds a day for the 1st, 2nd, and 4th sets of antlers. The 3rd set was grown with 16% protein, 5 pounds a day. The take home message is "You feed them good, you grow them big. If you feed them bad, you grow them small." Nutrition does make a difference in antler growth.


http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wi ... nutrition/


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Jay
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Re: Role of nutrition in antler development...

Unread postby Jay » Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:27 pm

I know that I pack a lot of corn up these ol hills every year, and have been since we moved here in 2007. I don't know how much protein is in corn but it can't hurt.
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Re: Role of nutrition in antler development...

Unread postby binney59 » Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:48 pm

Wow- thats cool. I would have never imagined that much of a drop off from year 3 to 4 in the low protein deer. Crazy.
dan
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Re: Role of nutrition in antler development...

Unread postby dan » Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:50 pm

Jay wrote:I know that I pack a lot of corn up these ol hills every year, and have been since we moved here in 2007. I don't know how much protein is in corn but it can't hurt.

Corn alone can be bad for deer... I know guys who when faced with a bad winter dumped a truck load of corn on there property and killed a lot of the deer.
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Re: Role of nutrition in antler development...

Unread postby oldrank » Wed Jan 15, 2014 12:51 pm

We see it here in Michigan big time. Every year Jackson county produces monsters where as certain other areas in the state your lucky to get a 100 " 8 point in a life time. Most of the lowers portion of Michigan is farm country then it kinda transitions into scrubby oaks n pine n sand n not much else as you head north.
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kurt
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Re: Role of nutrition in antler development...

Unread postby kurt » Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:13 pm

Alfalfa and other things are better than corn in ag type areas

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Milk Weed Seed
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Re: Role of nutrition in antler development...

Unread postby Milk Weed Seed » Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:45 pm

Corn is just carbs.

It's a no brainer IMO. Just simple high school biology, plants need fertile soil, just like mammals need nutrients to grow healthy. Healthy diet grows a healthy rack.

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Last edited by Milk Weed Seed on Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Role of nutrition in antler development...

Unread postby BassBoysLLP » Wed Jan 15, 2014 2:55 pm

No doubt nutrition is part of the equation. Steady YEAR ROUND food equates to bigger fall racks.


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