Frequently, when someone receives a small
piece of knowledge, it makes them a semi-authority on the subject. No doubt,
the information age we live in has proliferated and expanded this condition.
Often, the information you receive is inaccurate, but if you read it online or
via old fashioned print, it has to be gospel, right? Even if what you have read
or been told is true, it might be only a small piece of a much bigger picture
and might contribute to using the information incorrectly.
Case
in point. About three years ago, I took my youngest daughter to watch a high
school football game. By the time the third quarter ended, our high school team
was getting slaughtered. A couple of ladies behind us had been yelling advice
most of the game, and because it was the third quarter and the team was behind
by three touchdowns, the advice was growing to a crescendo. During one play,
the quarterback dropped back to pass, scrambled and ended up tucking the ball
and taking a sack. “You got to get rid of that ball,” and, “Throw the darn thing,”
were the comments tossed at the young quarterback. Those statements could have
hit on the right idea, but not when there was no one open and throwing the ball
would have probably ended up in an interception. I know that because I played
quarterback in high school. I had tried both options and threw my fair share of
picks. I turned to my daughter and said loud enough for several rows of folks
to hear me, “You know what sweetie, I have always felt that if you have never
experienced first-hand what you are giving advice on, your advice counts for
squat. I mean, I have never given birth, so I would not give an opinion on how to
deal with a contraction.” My daughter looked at me like I was insane, but I
didn’t hear any more comments from behind me the rest of the game. The
whitetail world has no shortage of information on any number of topics. TV,
magazines, blogs, websites, trade shows — you name it, and there are plenty of
places to give and receive deer knowledge. For the most part, it is good
information that, when applied correctly and under the right circumstances, will
produce good outcomes. Bad results are a derivative of improper application or
not realizing how this information fits into a bigger picture. For example, I
heard a guy on TV say you should follow up a deer right away after a shot
because the coyote population was increasing so much that the dogs would
scavenge your future deer steaks before you get to it. Well, if you know you
have a great hit and have a lot of coyotes in the area, maybe that's true.
However, if your shot was so-so, I would suggest waiting even if you have
coyotes in the area. Jumping a wounded deer that has not yet expired will most
likely leave you with nothing to take home. I have also heard people say that a
particular food plot variety is the absolute best on the market. Even if it is
“the best,” there are other factors to consider. Imperial Whitetail Clover is
the best food plot product on the market, but if you try and plant it in a
sandy, low pH soil, you will not get the results you are looking for. But
without doubt, one of the most used but least understood terms in the deer
nutrition world is protein. Protein has become the magic nutrient that is to
deer nutrition what Kleenex is to facial tissue. If there is a conversation
about deer nutrition, protein will certainly lead off the chat. But what do you
really know about protein? What is it, why is it important and how does it fit
into your management program?
What
is Protein?
Protein
is defined as naturally occurring complex combinations of amino acids that contain
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Most protein values you see or hear about
are given as crude protein. Crude protein is the total protein value of a plant
or supplement. However, protein can be further broken down into amino acids
such as lysine, methionine, threonine, leucine, cystine, arginine and so on.
Each one of these amino acids has a specific function, and the configuration of
these amino acids varies between food sources. In other words, two food sources
might have the same crude protein value, but one might have more lysine than the
other. The importance of amino acid profiles in feed stuffs has been studied
far more in mono-gastric animals such as pigs and chickens than it has in
ruminant animals. Most swine and poultry diets are not formulated based on
crude protein but rather are balanced based on specific amino acid levels. Ruminants
have the ability, because of rumen microbial populations, to produce a protein
in the rumen called microbial protein. Of course, to produce this protein, the rumen
microbes feed off of the food ingested by the animal. Highly digestible protein
feed stuffs are needed by the microbial population to produce high levels of
microbial protein. In fact, digestible protein, or DP, is a commonly used value
when formulating ruminant diets. In simple terms, DP is the value of protein
used by the animal when measuring the amount of protein ingested versus the amount
of protein found in the feces. Ruminants also have the ability to convert
nonprotein nitrogen, or NPN, into microbial protein via the rumen microbial
population. Although NPN is not true protein, the nitrogen component is used by
the microbial population to produce protein. In addition to microbial protein,
certain protein sources will not be broken down by the microbial population and
will exit the rumen intact. These proteins are called bypass proteins, as they
bypass degradation in the rumen. Bypass protein can then be used and digested further
down the digestive system. Although microbial protein is typically sufficient
for average growth and maintenance, high-producing ruminants can benefit from
bypass protein. For example, a high-producing dairy cow will often be fed a
certain percentage of bypass protein because the microbial population might not
be able to produce enough protein to sustain the higher level of production.
What
Does Protein Do?
Protein
has many functions, but chiefly it is the building block of the muscle and
bone. Protein is also found in many other organs and is a major component of
blood. Essentially, protein is needed to grow and produce things, with muscle
and bone being two principle structures. However, protein is also vital for
lactation/milk production, as the mammary system will not produce maximum amounts
of milk without enough protein in the diet. Aside from growth, protein is also needed
for body maintenance. For example, weightlifters increase muscle mass by first
breaking muscle down (via weightlifting) and then let the body build the muscle
back up to a larger size. A crucial part of this regimen is the consumption of
large amounts of protein to supply the body what it needs to rebuild the
muscle. In terms of bone growth, large amounts of protein are required during
the growth and development of the skeletal system. In fact, young growing bone
is composed primarily of protein. Protein in a deer’s diet will contribute to all
the aforementioned functions, including muscle growth, bone growth and
lactation. As with all young, growing animals, protein plays a major part in a
fawn’s diet. Fawns are growing muscle and bone, both of which require large
amounts of protein. Fawns require as much as 26 percent or more in the diet the
first few months of their lives. Most of this protein early in life is found in
the milk supplied by the doe. Thus, does require a great deal of protein to
produce this protein-rich food supply to their fawns. A doe’s protein
requirements are considered to be around 18 percent during lactation. If
protein is limited in the doe’s diet, she will produce less milk, and therefore
the young fawn(s) will receive less protein for growth. It is important to note
that malnourished fawns have less chance of surviving, and those that survive
might be stunted the rest of their life. Protein’s role in a buck’s diet is
probably the most unique within the deer herd. Antlers are grown and shed each
year, and because antlers are basically growing bone that is outside of the
body, a high protein level is needed in the diet to maximize this growth. A
velvet antler is approximately 80 percent protein in the early growth stages and
a hardened antler is 45 percent protein. Further, when you consider that protein
is needed for other functions in the body, such as maintenance, and that these
functions take precedence over antler growth, it becomes apparent that a lack
of protein in the diet will likely result in stunted antler growth.
Putting
this Knowledge to Use
So
with that being said, how do you use the things we have discussed or derive any
relevance from it? First, I think it is valuable to gain knowledge and
understanding of a topic even if not all of it is applicable. You might not
study the amino acid profile of a particular food plot forage, but knowing that
there is more to protein than just the crude protein value could be beneficial.
For example, when you look at a protein value, you might ask yourself what the
protein digestibility is. That might be difficult to ascertain, but on a practical
level, if a food plot forage is highly digestible, the protein in that food
plot forage is more than likely highly digestible. So if the goal is to get
protein to the deer herd, look at the characteristics of the forage. Heavy-leafed,
thin-stemmed forages like those in Imperial Whitetail Clover and Alfa- Rack
Plus tend to be highly digestible to deer, thus the protein found in these will
be readily available to the animal. If you see the words bypass protein, you
know that protein escapes rumen degradation to be used farther down the
digestive system and could provide growth benefits. However, you also know that
microbial protein is vital, as it is the major protein source to the animal, so
it is a need that must be taken care of first before there is any need to worry
about bypass protein. There is little wonder why the word protein has become so
popular in the deer hunting and management world. Protein plays a crucial role
in all segments of the deer herd. A lack of protein in the diet will
undoubtedly lead to a poorer quality deer herd. In many cases, protein is
lacking in the natural environment, especially if you look at protein levels over
time. Protein is highest when plants are young and growing and drops along with
digestibility as the forage matures. However, deer require high amounts of
protein throughout the entire spring and summer. The protein level found in
natural food sources has been shown to average 8 percent to 12 percent, far
lower than the 16 percent to 18 percent needed for maximum antler growth and
doe lactation. Thus, a dramatic result can be seen when a highly digestible, high-protein
food plot is added to supplement the deer’s diet — especially, if that food
plot maintains a high protein level throughout spring and summer.
Conclusion
It
might be nearly impossible to know everything thing about a given subject, but more
knowledge is always better than less. Knowledge leads to better actions and,
probably more importantly, leads to better questions. Although we know that
protein is important in a deer’s diet, knowing the details on why, what and how
can help you in your decisions on how to best use protein in your management
plan.
