Starch in Deer Diets – Feeding Deer Corn | Purina Animal Nutrition (2024)

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Starch in Deer Diets – Feeding Deer Corn | Purina Animal Nutrition? ›

Caution in feeding deer corn

The starch intended for use by the growing corn plant is also readily available to the deer, which is why deer crave corn. Although starch is an important source of energy, it may be a problem for deer because deer are ruminants.

As long as deer owners don't use corn as a deer's primary food source, the impact will be positive. It can be advantageous as a supplement to complement the right feeding plan. Corn combined with typical food for deer like leaves, fruits, nuts, and grass can significantly benefit their health.

For better or for worse, products like “deer corn” are much like junk food for deer, and can cause painful ailments such as acidosis, enterotoxaemia, aflatoxin poisoning, and hoof deformities. As ruminants, deer maintain a specific blend of microbes in their gut that breaks down their naturally high-fi- ber diet.

Whole corn and whole oats can also be used and are often readily available. A ratio of 1:1 to 1:4 corn:oats is recommended. Avoid feeding pure corn, barley or wheat as they are too high in starch and may cause digestive problems leading to death.

Cornstarch and other food starches that have been processed and cooked are extremely digestible, even for obligate carnivores like cats. This does mean that cornstarch as an additive in cat foods can be a good addition due to its high digestibility and low likelihood of leading to stomach upset.

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.

Certain items are bad for deer's health, such as bread, corn, and other foods with an excessive amount of starch. The starch in barley and wheat can lead to severe indigestion issues in a deer, and may lead to death.

One of the cheapest deer feed options is corn.

Setting up a deer feeder

To set-up a feeder, select an area where deer traffic is good, and then follow these steps: Set up a spin feeder to throw out 1-2 pounds of corn every 6 hours, or spread it by hand using gloves or a scoop to limit human scent. This amount will attract them to the area you want to feed.

What food is irresistible to deer? ›

The top 20 deer foods are: acorns, alfalfa, apples, beechnuts, brassicas, cereal grains, clover, corn, cowpeas, fall leaves, fir needles, forbs, milo, northern white cedar, persimmons, pears, saplings and shrubs, soybeans, and treetops (felled or fallen).

So what does a deer eat? Deer will primarily eat browse (woody portion of leaves and stems), forbs (broad-leaved plants), mast (acorns, apples, etc), and grass. Although these are the main foods deer like to eat, the quantity of these different foods differ throughout the year and the region you are hunting.

The best supplemental winter feed is a block or pellet formulation containing at least 14 percent protein like Record Rack® Sportsman's Formula or Deer Block. It should also provide sufficient energy (in the form of fatty foods and carbohydrates) and contain enough fiber to promote normal digestive function.

The top 20 deer foods are: acorns, alfalfa, apples, beechnuts, brassicas, cereal grains, clover, corn, cowpeas, fall leaves, fir needles, forbs, milo, northern white cedar, persimmons, pears, saplings and shrubs, soybeans, and treetops (felled or fallen).

However, if you still want to provide supplemental feed for deer, it's essential to choose appropriate options that meet their nutritional needs and don't cause harm. Some good choices include apples, carrots, corn, oats, alfalfa, soybeans, and clover.