# Deer, how much is to much?



## Rustydog (May 1, 2013)

Hey everyone,
Love the site and have learned a lot. 

I have been feeding raw for the past year with great results. 

So as the title sayes, how much is to much?
I know that you are suppose to feed atleast 3 meats (I have been feeding 5) but I have also read that deer is the best meat to feed.
If I could save some money and have a good excuse to hunt more. Its a win win for me. 

If feeding 3 types each would be 33%. 
So what would be to much? 50% 80%

All comments welcome.
Thanks


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## Gally (Jan 28, 2012)

I'm not sure there is a magic number for how much of one protein is going to be too much. As far as basing a diet on one protein I think a wild meat like deer is at least a lot healthier than the factory farmed options. I would still aim for as much variety as you can get. So if you fed one meal a day I would personally want at least 3 of 7 meals a week being different proteins. I'd also want to feed as many different parts of the deer as possible, organs, heart, leg, rib, head etc. Are you using deer for bone content as well or something else?


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## Rustydog (May 1, 2013)

Thanks for the reply. 

Yes, I am using all the deer I can organs, ribs etc. Just not the buck rack I had monted. But he loved the doe head. 
Like you said it is recommended to feed a min of 3 proteins and deer would be better than store bought. So I wondered if anyone had tried it. 

I switched to raw due to allergies which are now gone. So I want to keep feeding him as healthy as I can. 
With all the bad stuff you hear about our food supply. I thought it might be better to add more wild game. 
Deer would be the easiest to fill the freezes. 

I guess I will have to add moose to my hunt list for next year. That would give me 2 wild proteins. 

So I guess I will stick with at least 3 proteins. 

Thanks again.


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## kathylcsw (Jul 31, 2011)

I try to feed as much deer as possible. My dogs probably get about 40% of their diet in deer meat. They also get beef, pork, chicken, duck, and turkey regularly. I add in goat, lamb, fish, rabbit and quail when I find it but I like feeding mostly deer.


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## Rustydog (May 1, 2013)

Thanks for your input. 

I was lucky and got 2 deer myself last year, about 150 lbs of just meat plus all the organs from one and all the bones from both. 
I have also been feeding beef pork chicken and raised whole rabbits. 

I am able to buy multiple deer tags (have actually bought 6 already, than figured I better ask.) my thinking was to feed mostly deer adding in beef or pork organs, chicken backs and a rabbit here and there. But it would be mostly deer protein. 

Last year when I started feeding raw he just loved deer. Hunting season was almost over and I figured I would just fill the freezer this year, I have read that deer would be one of the most natural and healthiest foods to feed. Bought all the tags and then started to think I better check. I know some dogs will be on a single protein diet due to allergies which is why I started raw. But variety is always better. 

Not sure what to do now. I won't feed all deer, but will probably up it some. He eats over 700 lbs a year, almost 600 lbs of protein following the 80/10/10. 
Maybe about 300 lbs of meat, bones and organs. That would be about 43%

Anyone thoughts?


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

I feed allot of wild game as well. But I am lucky and get Elk, Deer and Antelope. I get old stuff mostly from people and where I work for hunting season. I think it will be ok if you mix in the other stuff in between. I would think about 50% of it being deer would be ok.


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## wolfsnaps88 (Jan 2, 2012)

I would say a good 70 to 80% of meals have been of deer meat for my dogs. I don't think you can go wrong with a meat that is grass fed, steroid/antibiotic/growth hormone free red meat. If you can get it, feed it! Unless you have access to deer all the time and have one small dog to feed, you will eventually have to add other proteins in because deer is not easily obtainable (unless you want to pay the prices for farmed deer). And moose? Man, I would love to try that myself...they are so large they would fill 2 freezers! 


Good luck with your hunting season!


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

During deer season, that is almost all my crew gets. For bone they get deer ribs, and I will throw in some pork ribs, pig feet or chicken quarters for other sources of bone.


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## Rustydog (May 1, 2013)

Thanks for all the replies. 

I guess I really have to wait and see how hunting season goes. 
I have 6 tags and have access to limited scrap from a butcher. So I will see how it goes. 

Next year might have to plan a moose hunt. 
Thanks again for all the replies. I will let you know how much I get. 
Ps
My dog is a 4 year old male 90 lbs high energy Azores cattle dog.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

Wow I have never heard of that one. We must see a picture of him.


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## Rustydog (May 1, 2013)

This was taken when he was about 2 1/2 years old.
I was going to add another pic of him eating a doe head, But not sure if that is allowed.


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## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

Pretty I just love the brindle color. Yes it's allowed in the raw section.


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## emanliame (Oct 5, 2013)

Just FYI - I've always heard that the risk of not providing enough variety of meat sources is food allergies. Apparently, most dogs aren't born with a particular food allergy, but rather, the dog develops the allergy after an extended period of time eating the same thing. This is why chicken and beef allergies are so common - chicken and beef are the most common protein source in dog foods and tend to be over-fed. So, while the deer meat you're feeding certainly sounds like a really high quality protein, I would still be careful about over doing it. The last thing you want is for your dog to develop an allergy to such a good food option. Exactly how much is too much is probably not known to anyone.


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

Hi Rustydog

Your dogs are lovely. Honestly try not to get too caught up in numbers. If I could get fresh deer I woudl feed it for the whole season.  That said we have gotten some incredible beef deals and my pack has eaten priamrily beef for weeks at a time. 

Balance is over time - if you get a fantastic deal or are flooded with fresh deer feed it and be ecstatic. There are lean times when chicken and turkey will be your staple. We have had lean times when chicken was our base because that is what we could afford. 

Usually we feed a little chicken, turkey, duck, beef, sardines, lamb lung. 

Liz


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