Guest TennesseeTurkey Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 How well do deer like sweet feed? I was in the local co-op the other day and I was wondering about this. Do any of you use sweet feed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WVdeerhunter Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 They love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodnottygy Posted January 24, 2009 Report Share Posted January 24, 2009 I raise whitetails as a hobby and feed sweet feed to my 9 whitetails. Some sweet feed has copper in it and the digestive tract on a deer is similar to sheep. I know that copper is to not fed to sheep. I use a other sweet feed during the antler growing season gradually and then go back to the cheaper feed gradually after the antler growth is completed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin R10 man Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 just use molasses with your corn and add protein pellets..they can mix it at the feed store for you. think I have a recipe here somewhere for an 18% mix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUNTINGMAN Posted January 25, 2009 Report Share Posted January 25, 2009 I tried a bag of sweet feed last year that came off of a horse farm,it had all the best ingredeints in it and the deer never touched it.For that matter neither did anything else.Maybe there was something in it that animals didnt like.I have poured out corn and then pour buck jam on top and the deer ate it up,quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkoholic Posted January 26, 2009 Report Share Posted January 26, 2009 Rocky Mountain Sweet Mix used here and the critters love it. Only feed from December through March so I'm not sure how it would be received during greener times of the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doe-ee Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Our corn feed comes with molasses in it and they love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunt or be Hunted Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 i dont Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 I've used it, and deer eat it pretty good. BUT, your pouring out a feed with pellets in it, so it does not do well on the ground at all. Any moisture or rain will turn it to mush. Deer aint nothing but high-powered goats, and it dont take a lot of imagination to come up with something they like. I think it boils down to your intentions. Are you trying to grow horns, or just attract them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TennesseeTurkey Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 I've used it, and deer eat it pretty good. BUT, your pouring out a feed with pellets in it, so it does not do well on the ground at all. Any moisture or rain will turn it to mush. Deer aint nothing but high-powered goats, and it dont take a lot of imagination to come up with something they like. I think it boils down to your intentions. Are you trying to grow horns, or just attract them? for now just attract to get a spot established....horn growth later.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 corn is a cheaper way to go, but lacking on the protien compared to some other things, but no doubt they'll come to it. we put out some dairy pellets in the spring to help nursing does out. we have covered troughs for that. they'll tear sweet feed up, and you can get some mixes pretty cheap, just keep it off the ground, or you'll have oatmeal after rain, and they cant eat that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cinch314 Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Ive got a 21% mix that includes corn, corn gluton pellets, soybean meal, redcell and calcium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 This may help, a c/p i got at another site: Corn is NOT the Best Food for Deer For those of us who are bound and determined that we need to feed the deer that come into our yards, we should be feeding a high protein food supplement. Corn only has 6% protein versus what the deer need, a 16 to 20 percent protein food. Corn merely offers the deer a low protein, high carbohydrate diet. It's basically deer candy. Feeding the low protein corn makes the deer prone to munching the high cost and high protein shrubs in our yards. Just because the store sells "DEER CORN", doesn't mean it should be fed to the deer. We have tried through the years to get the grocery stores to at least provide an alternative to corn for their customers. Some have responded, but most have not. If the grocery store where you have been buying corn, doesn't have a good alternative, ask the manager to please start stocking one. If you're willing to buy it, they're willing to stock it. Any feed store will have a good 16 to 20 percent sheep and goat pellet which will be an excellent supplement. (Callahans - HC Goat Pellet, Tractor Supply - Sheep and Goat Pellets). "Wildlife Pellets" are also available, but they are usually more expensive and provide no better supplement than the sheep and goat pellets. You can feed the pellets at a rate of one to two cups per head per day. Splitting this ration between a morning and evening feeding tends to assure a better distribution. Remember, you are only wanting to supplement their diet, not fill them up on the pellets. You should never pour the deer food on the ground. Feeding on the ground leads to parasite infestation. Always place the pellets in several clean, shallow feeding trays or bowls that are spaced several feet apart. This will allow everyone to eat and keep two or three deer from hogging all the food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) the problems with pellets is delivery. Big troughs are a mess, we got pics of coons in them, turkeys get up and crap in them, sometimes little pigs will get up in there, heck i've run stray dogs out of the things. maybe someone in here has better ideas or experience on this than i do, but putting small amounts of feed in different little containers like that site had may be fine for your back yard, but not your hunting spot that's 20 miles away. I tried one of those hanging buckets once, trying to beat the hogs. I kept raising the thing higher and higher, and boy can them hogs jump! Maybe i'll post some pics of that. Do you have hogs on your property? Edited February 2, 2009 by redkneck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TennesseeTurkey Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 the problems with pellets is delivery. Big troughs are a mess, we got pics of coons in them, turkeys get up and crap in them, sometimes little pigs will get up in there, heck i've run stray dogs out of the things. maybe someone in here has better ideas or experience on this than i do, but putting small amounts of feed in different little containers like that site had may be fine for your back yard, but not your hunting spot that's 20 miles away. I tried one of those hanging buckets once, trying to beat the hogs. I kept raising the thing higher and higher, and boy can them hogs jump! Maybe i'll post some pics of that. Do you have hogs on your property? nope none whatsoever.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
High Country Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 If you are using it for an attractant be aware...deer that responded throughout the spring, summer and early fall (and therefore knew where it was at) disappeared when the acorns hit the ground...I gave up and went hunting for white oak trees that were dropping...and I found my deer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted February 4, 2009 Report Share Posted February 4, 2009 yeah, no substitute for a good white oak tree. Last year the frost got them down here, so there were none, but that just made them hit the water oaks that much harder. Feeding deer is just a supplement, but if you can have some natural forage, it's always best. Fertilize your briars, honeysuckle, or whatever else you have and you'll improve your natural browse without spending a ton of $ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimT Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 They love it. I've used Rider and they gobble it up.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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