If you stop to think about it, the commercial and recreational "Cervid" industries are a diverse group. They have numerous reasons why they are involved with our deer species. They come from all walks of life and from all regions of our nation and the world! A particular feed ingredient may not even be available in some areas, while it is plentiful and inexpensive in other areas. In addition, feed ingredient prices vary widely in different parts of the country. See http://agebb.missouri.edu/dairy/byprod/bplist.asp With all the variables affecting product-price and availability, it is often the best solution to accommodate local conditions since those are the conditions we realistically have to deal with when confronting our feed options.

Custom "Pellet" Formulation will be the most logical choice for you if:

1. Your local Pellet mill does not carry ALL feed ingredients found in the Record Book Formula. We can help make your selection of the raw ingredients as good as they can be for your pellet and goals.

2. Any particular ingredients are priced so unrealistically high, that the nutritional return just isn't a good value for the money.

3. You have a particular set of nutritional goals you want to meet that are different from our standard Record Book and Ener-Max formulas. You may want a higher protein or lower fiber pellet. We can adjust all nutritional levels to suit your particular needs.

4. You want a custom pellet for your own custom blend. We can design a "Custom Blend Pellet" that will work perfectly in your own custom blend. It is often possible to incorporate all or most of the ration vitamins and minerals and eliminate "topdressing minerals" and binding with molasses, which dries up over time, leaving vitamins and minerals in the feed bunk.

5. You have restricted financial resources budget (Don't we All??)

6. You are simply recreationally-feeding native deer.

7. You may want the ultimate deer pellet, and $350-375/ton price is not a deterrent!!
a. Remember, there are usually minimum size orders: 1-4 ton minimums are common.

Custom "Blend"Formulationwill be the most logical choice for you if:

1. Want to feed whole, un- ground grains, oil seeds and soy beans, for that increased "scratch factor" in ruminant digestion.

2. Want to avoid putting numerous high fats, hard to pellet items like oats, sunflower seeds, and roasted soybeans in the pellet, thus making it a harder pellet.

3. We will add the nutrient analysis and ingredient-inclusion rates of all your pellet and non-pellet ingredients and give you an accurate prediction of exactly what you are feeding.

"Total" Daily Nutritional Intake is actually what the deer/elk takes in over the course of a 24 hour day. Included in the figure are numbers like:

1. Pellet intake - (lbs. per day)

2. Hay intake - (type of hay and lbs. per day eaten)

3. Plot intake - (lbs. per day of any field forage)

4. Browse intake - (estimated lbs. per day)

5. Mineral lick - (supplemental free choice)

6. Treats - (acorns, pumpkins, apples, carrots, etc)
a. You will need to supply the "best possible estimate" of how much of each food category, your deer or elk is eating each day. The better your estimate, the more relevant the generated information will be for you to make the right adjustments in your nutrition program.