Does Deer Chow get old???
 

Last year I had bought 6 bags of Deer chow (Looks like rabbit pellets) My feeder broke and since it was late in the year I just brought the whole thing in, fixed it, and then put it out this year in Oct. I have seen many deer on my place and the feeder is on a 5 acre food plot that has been sowed with oats that are about 3-4 inches tall. The deer don't seem to be visiting the feeder. (the deer chow is about 6 months old) Could it be that the deer chow is old and no good to the deer? We also have a bumper crop of acorns this year. Could there be so much food that they just haven't had a need to visit the feeder? If the chow is still good I feel that after the first hard freeze the deer will be looking for other sources of food and may start using the feeder. Any thoughts on this??

The harder I work, the luckier I get!

RE: Does Deer Chow get old???
 

If you kept the feed dry and in a well aired area it should be OK. If it was exposed to high humidity/dampness it may be moldy. How does it smell? Does it smell moldy or like hay? If it was exposed to high temperatures there will be a loss of vitamins and the fat may have gone rancid. An example would be the taste of peanuts that you left around for a while.

Did the deer feed on the pellets last year?

Dan O.

RE: Does Deer Chow get old???
 

Actually I didn't smell it too closely. It smelled like feed. I kept it in a clean plastic garbage can in a shed. It was covered and the top layer was a little crusty but the feed below that seemed OK. Maybe I should throw the whole thing out for the hogs and get new chow. I still have a bag and a half left in the house. Thanks

The harder I work, the luckier I get!

RE: Does Deer Chow get old???
 

I got an answer today from Purina. 60 days from the date of manufacture is what Purina says it will remain fresh.

The harder I work, the luckier I get!

RE: Does Deer Chow get old???
 

It's not your chow it's the acorns! We have a huge crop this year also and the deer seem to have all but disappeared from the fields and plots. Things will heat up about late November.

RE: Does Deer Chow get old???
 

If they eat bad, soured feed it can and will kill them.