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The Impact of Corn on Deer: Nutritional Benefits and Risks, Study notes of Nutrition

SouthWest Skill Center (SWSC)Nutrition

The complex relationship between corn and deer nutrition. While corn has nutritional deficiencies, it can be beneficial when part of a diverse diet due to its high energy content. However, consuming too much corn can lead to digestive and metabolic problems in deer. The article discusses the causes of these issues, their effects on deer health, and strategies for using corn and other high-starch foods in deer management.

What you will learn

What digestive and metabolic problems can occur when deer consume too much corn?
How can corn be used wisely in deer management programs?
What nutritional benefits does corn offer deer when part of a diverse diet?

Typology: Study notes

2021/2022

Uploaded on 09/12/2022

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!

Corn!in!Deer!Management!.!Too!Much!of!a!Good!Thing?! !

!by!David!Hewitt!!!!!!!!!

!

Many!articles,!presentations,!and!campfire!

conversations!about!deer!nutrition!state!

emphatically!that!corn!is!not!good!for!deer.!

In!a!general!sense,!this!is!true!because!corn!

is!low!in!protein!(9%),!has!a!poor!mineral!

profile,!and!can!cause!digestive!upset!and!

metabolic!problems.!However,!general!

statements!that!corn!is!bad!for!deer!simplify!

a!more!complex!relationship!between!deer!

and!corn.!When!corn!is!part!of!a!diverse!

diet,!the!nutritional!deficiencies!of!corn!can!

be!overcome!and!corn's!high!energy!content!

may!be!beneficial.!This!issue!of!the!CKWRI!

eGnews!deals!with!the!digestive!and!

metabolic!problems!of!eating!corn!and!

similar!foods.!

!

Background!

Corn!causes!problems!in!the!deer’s!digestive!system!because!of!characteristics!of!both!corn!

and!the!deer.!Corn!is!composed!primarily!of!starch,!which!is!meant!to!serve!as!an!energy!

source!for!the!corn!seedling!after!germination.!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.!Ruminants!have!a!large!sacGlike!structure!called!the!rumen!that!is!part!of!their!

digestive!tract!(see!eGnews!on!deer!digestive!anatomy!G!Amazing!Insights!from!the!Insides!of!a!

Deer,!May!2010).!The!rumen!houses!beneficial!microbes!that!produce!nutrients!while!

breaking!down,!or!more!properly,!fermenting,!portions!of!plants!that!the!deer!cannot!digest!

on!its!own.!However,!the!microbes!do!not!limit!themselves!to!the!poorly!digested!portions!of!

the!deer’s!diet.!In!fact,!the!microbes!attack!starch!with!a!vengeance!and!can!ferment!it!much!

more!rapidly!than!other!portions!of!the!deer’s!diet.!This!rapid!fermentation!leads!to!

problems.!

Corn%is%high%in%starch%and%a%good%source%of%digestible%

energy,%but%can%cause%problems%in%a%deer’s%digestive%system.%

January!2013!

Partial preview of the text

Download The Impact of Corn on Deer: Nutritional Benefits and Risks and more Study notes Nutrition in PDF only on Docsity!

Corn in Deer Management -‐ Too Much of a Good Thing?

by David Hewitt Many articles, presentations, and campfire conversations about deer nutrition state emphatically that corn is not good for deer. In a general sense, this is true because corn is low in protein (9%), has a poor mineral profile, and can cause digestive upset and metabolic problems. However, general statements that corn is bad for deer simplify a more complex relationship between deer and corn. When corn is part of a diverse diet, the nutritional deficiencies of corn can be overcome and corn's high energy content may be beneficial. This issue of the CKWRI e-‐news deals with the digestive and metabolic problems of eating corn and similar foods.

Background

Corn causes problems in the deer’s digestive system because of characteristics of both corn and the deer. Corn is composed primarily of starch, which is meant to serve as an energy source for the corn seedling after germination. 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. Ruminants have a large sac-‐like structure called the rumen that is part of their digestive tract (see e-‐news on deer digestive anatomy -‐ Amazing Insights from the Insides of a Deer, May 2010). The rumen houses beneficial microbes that produce nutrients while breaking down, or more properly, fermenting, portions of plants that the deer cannot digest on its own. However, the microbes do not limit themselves to the poorly digested portions of the deer’s diet. In fact, the microbes attack starch with a vengeance and can ferment it much more rapidly than other portions of the deer’s diet. This rapid fermentation leads to problems. Corn is high in starch and a good source of digestible energy, but can cause problems in a deer’s digestive system. January 2013

Effects of Eating Too Much Corn

When deer eat too much corn or other high-‐carbohydrate food, many complex changes occur in the rumen. Some microbes proliferate while others die. The amounts and types of products produced by rumen microbes change. These microbial products may overwhelm the deer’s ability to handle them, causing problems throughout the deer’s body. For example, the deer’s rumen may become acidic, and if the rumen acidosis is severe, the deer’s entire body may become acidic. Finally, the interior surface of the rumen itself may be damaged by all these changes, allowing bacteria and toxins to enter the deer’s blood. These changes in the deer’s rumen have many consequences. A short-‐term consequence of eating too much corn is that the deer feel sick. They quit eating and become lethargic. Losing their appetite can be good because the deer will cease eating corn and give themselves a chance to recover. Deer that have eaten too much corn may also develop diarrhea, bloat (potentially lethal build-‐up of gases in the rumen), polioencephalomalacia (a potentially lethal condition of the nervous system), and in severe cases, blindness, seizures, and death. Other problems may develop when deer eat a lot of corn. In addition to damaging the rumen lining, over-‐consumption of corn may cause hoof problems. The feet of deer may become sore, causing the deer to continually lift one foot at a time off the ground to relieve the pressure on their hooves. A long-‐term consequence of eating too much corn are hoof deformities in which the hooves grow too long, giving the deer the appearance of wearing elf shoes with the toes curling up. Deer with such hoof deformities may no longer walk solely on their hoofs, but instead their feet collapse so that their dew-‐claws also contact the ground. Using Corn and Other High-‐Starch Foods in Deer Management Clearly deer can experience problems if forced or allowed to eat too much corn. The same problems can occur when deer eat large amounts of other high-‐starch foods, such as pelleted supplements (commonly known as “protein pellets”), nuts (e.g. acorns and pecans), and fruits. All these foods are readily available to deer throughout their range at sometime during the Eating too much grain or other high starch foods can cause deformed deer hooves. Photo Credit – Donnie Draeger

nutritional benefits and can help address a variety of management goals. If used otherwise, they can cause problems and, for some deer at least, could be too much of a good thing.