Jump to content

Corn and deer


Recommended Posts

So if acres of corn are left unharvested and the deer have this to feed on through the winter will acidosis not take place? I guess what I'm saying is if corn is available will they eat it through the winter until its gone and not get sick. 

 

 

The problem is that deer digestion is a finely tuned physiological process. Just the right combination of microorganisms, enzymes, and pH enable deer to digest a normal winter diet of woody vegetation. When offered a sudden supply of corn, a deer’s digestive system doesn’t have time to adjust to a high carbohydrate diet. The result can be acute acidosis followed by death within 72 hours.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 1/1/2019 at 6:08 PM, First-light said:

So if acres of corn are left unharvested and the deer have this to feed on through the winter will acidosis not take place? I guess what I'm saying is if corn is available will they eat it through the winter until its gone and not get sick. 

 

 

The problem is that deer digestion is a finely tuned physiological process. Just the right combination of microorganisms, enzymes, and pH enable deer to digest a normal winter diet of woody vegetation. When offered a sudden supply of corn, a deer’sstive system doesn’t have time to adjust to a high carbohydrate diet. The result can be acute acidosis followed by death within 72 hours.

Expand  

Standing corn is not a sudden supply . They have been nipping tassels, silk, tips of ears, and kernals off it since it was growing .. 

This is another huge difference between a food plot / crop and baiting for those that insist there isnt a difference

Edited by G-Man
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 1/1/2019 at 6:21 PM, G-Man said:
Standing corn is not a sudden supply . They have been nipping tassels, silk, tips of ears, and kernals off it since it was growing .. 
This is another huge difference between a food plot / crop and baiting for those that insist there isnt a difference

Not Really. If a deer has been fed corn from Day 1 in a feeder or pile it would still be the same. The issue with corn and deer only happens in the dead of winter in heavy snow when corn has not been in the diet and then loaded up on them and they fill their bellies with corn and can't break it down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Like 4SW said, if it is new to their diet they won't have what they need in their gut to break the corn down.  The same thing can happen if you try to feed them bales of hay in the dead of winter.  It takes very different microbes to break down grass or corn vs. woody browse.  In places where it is legal to feed deer, it is important that they continue to feed them through the entire winter, not just during the coldest months.  

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 1/1/2019 at 7:28 PM, Four Season Whitetail's said:


Not Really. If a deer has been fed corn from Day 1 in a feeder or pile it would still be the same. The issue with corn and deer only happens in the dead of winter in heavy snow when corn has not been in the diet and then loaded up on them and they fill their bellies with corn and can't break it down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Expand  

True but Not a legal possibility with wild deer in nys. Or many others as baiting is allowed only in season there..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 1/1/2019 at 9:27 PM, G-Man said:

True but Not a legal possibility with wild deer in nys. Or many others as baiting is allowed only in season there..

Expand  

I believe the conversation was about potential problems from an unharvested cornfield being used as a food source. There are several cornfields around me that didn't get cut this year due to poor growth. It's not baiting; it's farming economics, and the deer will munch on that corn until it's gone. Until they change their basic diet for the winter they'll be fine eating corn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 1/1/2019 at 10:05 PM, philoshop said:

I believe the conversation was about potential problems from an unharvested cornfield being used as a food source. There are several cornfields around me that didn't get cut this year due to poor growth. It's not baiting; it's farming economics, and the deer will munch on that corn until it's gone. Until they change their basic diet for the winter they'll be fine eating corn.

Expand  

Yes I was responding to 4 seasons if corn was fed year round microbes would be present for digestion. As baiting usually takes place in Hunting season they would not.. standing corn by farmers and by people who just wanted to feed the herd would be eaten on from planting till it was gone.. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  On 1/1/2019 at 7:28 PM, Four Season Whitetail's said:


Not Really. If a deer has been fed corn from Day 1 in a feeder or pile it would still be the same. The issue with corn and deer only happens in the dead of winter in heavy snow when corn has not been in the diet and then loaded up on them and they fill their bellies with corn and can't break it down.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Expand  

Heck, I have a hard time "breaking down" corn! LoL

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...