DER ?????

MoCamo

Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
24
Location
Southern Tn
What is the protein value of this plant? And do the deer normally just eat the leaves or do they pull the hole plant up and eat the whole thing.
 

BSK

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Joined
Mar 11, 1999
Messages
81,524
Location
Nashville, TN
They normally eat just the leaves, but many varieties of plants in the turnip family will produce a "turnip" that the deer will dig up and eat in winter.

The protein content isn't as important because deer are not after proteins perse in fall and winter. They are after the sugar content for energy needs.
 

8 POINTS OR BETTER

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Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
4,178
Location
Hardin, Co.
"As a group, the brassicas are cool-season annuals that are high in protein and highly digestible. Protein content ranges from 15% to 20% in the leaves and from 8% to 15% in the roots. The leaves are over 90% digestible. Well-maintained brassica plots are highly productive and can produce 8 or more tons of forage per acre. This high production makes brassicas suitable for planting on small acreage food plots. "
 

slabhead

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Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
1,738
Location
Lewis Co.
My DER looks like someone took a weedeater to them. Not much left but stalks or steams. There are a few small leaves left, but that's about it.
 

Coach B

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Joined
Apr 6, 2001
Messages
642
Location
Marshall County, TN
The deer and my family have been eating pretty good on my best plot. DER greens make for a very good salad. Cut up the last few tomatoes, sprinkle on some pumpkin seeds and pine nuts. Ummm good, and pretty healthy too.:)
 

HOOK

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Joined
May 1, 1999
Messages
15,908
Location
Rutherford County, TN
slabhead said:
My DER looks like someone took a weedeater to them. Not much left but stalks or steams. There are a few small leaves left, but that's about it.

Me too slabhead. Plants in my confinement cage look great. I should have trippled the size of my plot this year.
 

MoCamo

Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
24
Location
Southern Tn
I am starting to see some sign that they are eating it but i was getting little worried on most of our feilds its almost knee deep.and the oats are to cant seem to figure out why they are not hitting my plots yet.I have not found any acorns to speak of.Maybe things are starting to pick up.
 

156p&y

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Joined
Oct 23, 2001
Messages
4,315
Location
Franklin Tn
Mo they should eat more of it after a frost. I've noticed that the deer are eating some of my plots and not others.
 

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