Corn or quality deer feed survey poll. Which do you use.

wildlifepro

Banned
Hey guys,I have a survey poll I am doing and would truly like your answers and feedback. In Feb I spoke to a group of private land owners, and plantation owners around the SC GA border on deer health and nutrition.Over 66% of them were putting out corn yearly for deer instead of a good quality deer feed in the past.Corn now at $10.00 a bag and offering no real nutritional or health value ,it only makes sense to use a quality product. First tell us what state your in and what part( N east S east, middle etc..) and what you use and why.Thanks so much and look forward to your answers. :biggrin3:
 

Millyville Hunter

Senior Member
I prefer the record rack products and they have not let me down yet.
I am in the middle GA area and put out this time of year around 120lbs a week. The results have been great.
This has been a five year going feeding program along with mineral sites but no their mineral product. I use the cow minerals(they are cheaper and have the proper levels of trace minerals contain with about 12% salt.) And also year round food plots.
Increased body size and genetic potiential has increased extremely well. I have kept up with some specific deer for about 3 years and have shown great improvements including healthly looking wieghts all year long. Also I think it helps with adjusting deer to your presence. My scent is laid out all around those feeders alot and I can really say in and around those locations deer are less spooky than on the southern ends of our property. I am a strong believer in the supplemental feeding with quality made products becase of what is all in these feeds. Corn is fine but really has alot of fat content minus the minerals placed in the quality feeds.
 

Core Lokt

Senior Member
The people you surveyed were probably buying it in bulk and paying a decent price for it and the reason they are using it. Corn is low in protein (3-4%) and high in energy and the reason deer hit it so well in the winter. A friend of ours started a protein/suplimental feed program about 6-7 yrs ago and he is really seeing a big difference in antler production and weight gain in the deer heard. He uses Purina Deer chow (in a trough feeder) and a granular protein for sheep/goats (poured on the ground). He also started spreading chicken litter around his property and on all white oaks to produce more natural brows and acorns. The place is located in Stewart Co Ga.

Here are a few pics

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bandit819

Senior Member
I throw corn, deer think its candy, but, as you know, will be switching to protein pellets as soon as I can get feeders in place. I use cattle minerals now but will upgrade soon. I am in Dooly County, which I guess is South Central. I will throw corn during the cold months with protein. At 450 a ton its just about the same price as corn but with much better returns. I also plant Durana and have wheat and oats if fall along with turnips.
 

brent613

Member
We have just started this year with mixing record rack and corn in all our trough feeders we will see if it makes a difference.
 

rhbama3

Administrator
Staff member
Neither. The hogs are fat enough already. I do plan to plant some quality food plots for the turkey and deer.
 

ELIWAITS

Banned
we use both right now in 50 lb bags they cost the same as for results until i start to use just one or the other ill never know
 

catch22

Senior Member
what about using "sweet feed" in trough feeders like is used for horses. Its half as much as corn, and twice the protein at 10-12%

never used it, but thinking of trying....ya'll ever heard of using it
 

Core Lokt

Senior Member
Deer wil eat and so will everything else in the woods too but if your goal is to get more protein to the deer this would not be my choice to do it.
 

catch22

Senior Member
protein

Deer wil eat and so will everything else in the woods too but if your goal is to get more protein to the deer this would not be my choice to do it.

I agree with you totally, I was just trying to fing cheaper alternative to corn to mix with protein pellets
 

wildlifepro

Banned
Stay away from using sweet feed as it can be very harmfull to deer.It can cause lactic aciddosis in their system and changes the ph in their rumen.When this happens levels of good bacteria and enzymes need to breakdown food sources are destroyed.Stop with the corn and sweet feed.Protein levels need to be at least 16% to start making a difference.Us a quality deer feed that's designed for deer.If you have any health/nutrition questions Catch 22 pm me and will be glad to help you out.Thanks.
 

ladderman4

Member
Feed the Hungry....Deer

Hey WildlifePro,
Just started using a broadcast feeder this year...d/t forest fire wiping out most of our land (120 acres). Some cypress and oaks are trying to come back in the swamp areas. Started with Record Rack feed. After reading some of your post, I switched to Record Rack (Deer & Elk) mainly because a (little) less fat and it "listed" higher" levels of Vitas & mins. And its the "better" feed available in my area (TSC). No hogs for now d/t the fires. Coons minimal. Coyotes are rampant!!! Know I need to plant out some plots. I'm in Ware County ( NW of Okefenokee Nat'l Refuge). Will be planting pine in winter to replace timber crop. Any suggestions on best / durable food crops for the deer. We have high and dry & low in the swamp. BTW Really gained insight on your post. Thanks for the info.
 

wildlifepro

Banned
RE food sources

Hey WildlifePro,
Just started using a broadcast feeder this year...d/t forest fire wiping out most of our land (120 acres). Some cypress and oaks are trying to come back in the swamp areas. Started with Record Rack feed. After reading some of your post, I switched to Record Rack (Deer & Elk) mainly because a (little) less fat and it "listed" higher" levels of Vitas & mins. And its the "better" feed available in my area (TSC). No hogs for now d/t the fires. Coons minimal. Coyotes are rampant!!! Know I need to plant out some plots. I'm in Ware County ( NW of Okefenokee Nat'l Refuge). Will be planting pine in winter to replace timber crop. Any suggestions on best / durable food crops for the deer. We have high and dry & low in the swamp. BTW Really gained insight on your post. Thanks for the info.

Thanks for the kind words, I just sent you a pm on different high protein, high tonnage annuals for your area that should do real well for you.
 

jmh5397

Senior Member
The club we just lost last year had been supplemental feeding for 10 years. We had trough feeders and gravity feeders (about 100 of them that held 400-600 lbs of feed). We used corn, soybeans, and Godfrey's 8pt (they are in Madison Ga). Personally, I wouldn't waste my time with supplemental feeding. If you're looking for protein content from a food source, then chicory and clover are going to provide the highest levels of protein (around 30-45 percent). I get the fact that some people don't have the property in which they can plant food plots and a feeding program may be a better option for those people, but if what you are wanting to do is give deer a higher nutritional diet, I don't think you can beat food plots for the nutritional value and the overall cost to plant them is cheaper (they last around 5 years with proper care).
 

ladderman4

Member
JMH,
Thanks for the info. Are the chicory and clover low maintence? Our property is about an hour from where I live. We get there about once maybe twice a month. Will the deer have to compete with any other game for the same plots.:confused:
 

hancock husler

Senior Member
Well I've been waiting on you to get back to me. Protien feed is my choice over corn .
 

Inthegarge

Senior Member
I have had a feeding program in the N GA Mountains for 8 years. I can only plant small foodplots due to the terrain, so I have several. I mix Protein pellets and corn, and feed from Jan-Mar and have foodplots the rest of the year. Have also been using minerals prepared for deer year round. Have averaged 15+ lbs weight increase and more "shooter" bucks..
 

wildlifepro

Banned
Well I've been waiting on you to get back to me. Protien feed is my choice over corn .

Hey Hustler,I left you several phone messages last winter but did not hear from you.If I remember you had to talk with club members. Ill pm you in a sec.Thanks
 
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