If you are looking to find an answer if is horse feed good for deer, then you have come to the right place.
For deer, horse diets, especially textured feeds like grain mixtures, will include an excessive amount of soluble (starchy) carbohydrates, which can lead to founder and acidity issues. Additionally, the protein content won’t be high enough to support maximum antler growth.
Let’s have a deeper look and learn if horse feed is good for your deer and how much of it you should use.
Is horse feed good for deer?
It’s not the healthiest practice to feed a wild deer high-energy grains. Although whole corn can be very pricey, it is good for the wild guys and attracts the attention of the deer.
It should be OK to give your deer tiny amounts of horse feed, but giving them too much can lead to acidity problems. So make sure you are doing your research first on how much horse feed you are allowed to feed your deer.
But I’ve learned that if you go to your neighborhood supermarket and buy in quantity, you can get horse feed for a reasonable price. The good thing about horse feed is that you can buy and store it to feed your deer throughout the winter.
I have used horse feed for deer myself and I can say that the deer loved it. However, you should know about some problems that could arise. For us, the issue was that if there had been a couple of days of intense rain on it, it would quickly mildew and smell awful.
To keep the rain off the tasty meal, you must construct a feed trough with a roof over it. The canopy will also shield the deer from seeing you pull your bow if you hang your stand properly.
Is it safe for deer to eat horse feed?
Yes, it’s safe for deer to eat horse feed, just make sure you are feeding the right amounts and not too much. Deer love horse feed and it’s safe for you to use it.
The deer that my parents feed truly adore the horse grain. However, they enjoy horse grain with molasses the most. Just keep in mind that feeding them isn’t a good idea; if you do, create a trough to keep the meal off the ground and away from their wastes and urine.
And for one deer to be content, a lot of food and space are needed. In addition, if someone steps in and gets things figured out, others will follow. What began as a challenge for my parents a few years ago increased to an all-time high of 42 feeding at once last winter. Not at all beneficial for our habitat there.
The ingredients in the two are remarkably similar, which is why our neighborhood feed merchants occasionally favor selling horse grain over deer feed.
Will deer eat horse and mule feed?
Yes, it performs well. It is molasses-coated grain. Naturally, they enjoy it. You’ll probably find that the majority of people don’t use it because a bag of whole corn costs so much less and works just as well. Use horse and mule if you can get them reasonably priced.
For axis and hogs, we have tried Horse and Mule feed, and they adore it! I don’t see why whitetail wouldn’t enjoy it either—we’ve used the same material for setout blocks in the past.
Will deer eat horse sweet feed?
Yes, it works amazingly well. It is molasses-coated grain. Obviously, they enjoy it.
When I’m trying to take shots, I’ll utilize some to start the season along with some corn. I cut back on the corn and sweet feed once the plot has emerged.
I treat the deer to it possibly every other week. When the rut really kicks in, I resume feeding them the sweet feed. They keep at it till the end of the season. The deer leave our land for a few months once the weather warms up and return to the creek. Stuff is very effective.
I also give them sweet feed during the winter months when it’s snowing, which is much less expensive than deer food, and they adore it. However, in my opinion, baiting deer is not hunting; however, if that’s your thing, go ahead and do it; it won’t affect me in any way.
Final thoughts
Is horse feed good for deer? Yes, to put it simply, if provided in the proper quantities, horse feed is healthy for deer. Avoid using too much since this may lead to issues. Take care of your deer and feed them safely.
