![]() Most experts agree that sufficient levels of water-soluble vitamins are actually produced by the microbial activity in the rumen to meet nutritional requirements. vitamins B and C) and fat-soluble vitamins (e.g. Vitamins can be grouped into water-soluble (e.g. Male deer mobilize bone reserves of calcium and phosphorus to grow antlers each year, and these reserves must be replenished though adequate dietary intake. ![]() We do know for sure that calcium and phosphorus are extremely important to growth and antler development in deer. The roles of specific minerals and vitamins in deer nutrition are less understood than protein or energy. The specific energy requirements of deer will vary widely across seasons and age classes.Ĭarbohydrate-rich foods, such as corn, are typically considered good sources of energy for deer, but cellulose is also a carbohydrate and serves as the primary energy source for white-tailed deer and other ruminants. Deer must take in about 7% protein to maintain normal bodily functions, but protein levels of 16 to 18% are considered optimal. ![]() Protein is very important for body and antler growth and frequently is the most limiting nutritional factor for deer. More on that later.Īll of the food a deer takes in can be placed into one of five general categories: protein, energy, minerals, vitamins and water. Even small grains become less valuable to deer once their blades mature and become too fibrous for easy digestion. In fact, the only grasses deer heavily utilize are those that their body can breakdown rapidly, such as small grains (wheat, etc.) used in food plots. The rumen of white-tailed deer is proportionally smaller than those of most livestock, which makes them better suited for digesting the leaves and stems of woody plants and forbs than long fibrous grasses. However, while most livestock are considered grazers, white-tailed deer are browsers, and this distinction is important for nutrition. Like cows and sheep, deer have a four-chambered (rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum) stomach where food is broken down by microbes and nutrients are absorbed. The first thing to recognize about deer is that they are a ruminant.
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