Cottonseed Meal Feed For Deer

The use of cottonseed by those involved in deer management programs has increase the price in recent years but it is high in protein 20 percent plus high in fat and also in fiber and is as close to a complete feed as one can get but lacks key minerals.

Cottonseed meal feed for deer. In addition to being a veterinarian hilton who also has degrees in wildlife science is the director of veterinary technology at texas a m university. That was the gist of the message offered by dr. To start them feeding on the cottonseed we added corn to about 5 cages and they have been hit the hardest. Photo courtesy of texas agricultural experiment station the gossypol study was done with fallow deer a species native to the mediterranean region of.

It s not a one stop shop but whole cottonseed is a great supplement for whitetail. However one veterinarian researcher says more study is needed. Of course the protein feeders are timed feeders on our property. Feeding cottonseed to deer.

Several sources of alternative protein include crop seeds such as soybeans and whole cottonseed. Feeding cottonseed meal to female fallow deer safe at low rates. Kingsville whole cottonseed has long been a go to supplemental feed for white tailed deer. Currently it seems the deer prefer feeding on cottonseed over the protein pellets.

Whole cottonseed lacks many of the micro and macro nutrients that protein pellets contain. Although protein pellets ranging from 16 to 20 protein are often offered in free choice feeders people often consider other sources of protein for diet supplementation. The gossypol study was done with fallow deer a species native to the mediterranean region of europe and asia minor and grown on deer farms throughout texas. In fact deer continue to hammer these sites even after all the corn is gone.

Many properties feed it from february through september and have zero problems during the rut. A lot of ranches use it and deer will come to love it. Clay hilton dvm at the caesar kleberg wildlife research institute s deer associates annual gathering here earlier this year. However cottonseed contains a compound known as gossypol a toxic pigment the plant naturally produces and is believed to discourage consumption by animals.