Feed Sources

Feed Sources

Feeding sources can be broken into crops, pasture based systems, or supplementary feed systems.
Refer to Forages for deer by David Stevens, for detailed information around feed options and deer performance

Crops

Cropping is a useful tool in farming system to provide additional feed at crucial times in a farming year. Crops traditionally produce more DM and Energy than standard grass based pastures and can reduce the feed risk in a farming system during such times as drought and at feed shortage times.

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Cereals

Forage cereal crops in NZ are predominantly Wheat, Barley, Maize, Oats, Triticale, Ryecorn and Peas. The reason for growing Forage Cereal crops is to achieve as high a yield as possible, with winter growth of these crops out yielding ryegrasses in terms of dry matter production. Some forages have proven to produce up to 30% more dry matter than annual ryegrass during the autumn/winter early-spring period.
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Grasses

Perennial, annual and other grass species information
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Legumes

Information about Legumes such as clover varieties and Lucerne.
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Herbs

The two main improved pasture herbs commonly used in NZ are chicory and plantain.

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Fodder trees

Both poplar and willow have been used as drought forage for sheep, cattle and deer.

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