THINK ENERGY OVER PROTEIN THIS SPRING

If Mother Nature is cooperating in your part of the world, you’re hopefully seeing some good rainfall and lots of green on your deer property this month.  As your deer habitats start to provide the best conditions for growth, it’s by natural design that spring is one of the most critical time periods for antler development.

Energy is #1

You might be tempted to let the protein feeder run dry with all that good forage available, but now it’s time to change gears and start thinking about energy over protein.  Whitetails’ nutrition needs are skyrocketing now as bucks start antler growth and does prepare for fawning.  Energy is crucial to ensure deer are reaching and maintaining the body condition to be successful this season.

Body condition is one of the best units of measure to consider when evaluating the health of your deer herd.  It’s easy to visually see changes in fat cover over the back and ribs, and to notice a difference in hair coat. For bucks, replenishing body condition lost over the winter will always happen first before any antler development.  If your bucks still look thin, now is the time to really focus on providing energy in your supplementation program if you want to see antlers in a few months.  A well-balanced supplement like Magnify (26% protein and 7% fat) can help you meet that energy need and start seeing improvements in body condition, hair coat and early antler growth.

Maximize Utilization

The next concern as spring-time vegetation arrives is to make sure deer maximizing their utilization of the available forage. Be wary of supplements with high starch and sugar content, as these can cause serious digestive issues including acidosis. Rack Revolution Magnify is made with a naturally low-starch distillers grain base, plus it offers chelated minerals and a natural fermentation aid that boosts rumen function and fiber digestion.

It might seem a little backward to be pressing the gas on supplementation when forages are lush and green.  And the truth is, yes, deer will always choose to graze first.  The goal of your supplementation program is to fill the gaps and complement the native habitat, while providing that extra nutrient boost to keep deer healthy and reaching their genetic potential. The better nutrition now, the better your results in the fall.