Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

Feeding Elk Stags

Stags are kept both for their reproductive function and their velvet production. Like hinds, their appetite, growth and production are very seasonal.

Elk adapt well to a wide variety of feedstuffs. Rules that apply to balancing rations for all livestock species also apply to elk: feed test, know your requirements and formulate rations accordingly.
 

Rut and Post Rut Feeding

During the breeding season, or rut, high levels of testosterone have an inhibitory effect on appetite. Feed intake almost stops. During this time, stags may lose up to 20% of their body weight.

The post rut period (November 1 to December 15) is a critical time of year. Stags must be fed to regain body condition lost during the rut. At least half of the weight lost must be regained prior to winter when appetite drops to its lowest. Grain supplementation (2 kg) along with good quality hay will be needed.
 

Winter Feeding

A maintenance or backgrounding ration is fed from mid-December to February 1. The low energy ration helps to delay casting of antlers from late February and early March until late March and early April. Antlers are harvested 60 to 65 days after casting. A delay in casting means velvet growth will coincide with the flush of early pasture in June.

In early to mid-February, feed quality should be increased. This, along with the increase in day length, stimulates appetite and the velvet production cycle. Some producers feel that improving feed quality has a "flushing" effect on velvet production. It is more likely that the main effect is simply to advance the date of velveting.

Early access to lush spring pasture is recommended. Stags held in confinement to monitor velvet growth may have their diet supplemented with concentrates.
 

Nutrition and Velvet Production

Nutritional management of velveting stags is simple. Feeding diets above the requirements has no effect on velvet yield. Nutrition does have an impact on final antler size but because the antlers are harvested at an intermediate stage of growth, the only effect of diet will be to alter the number of days to velveting.

Feeding protein and energy above the requirement will have minimal effect on velvet production and can actually lead to serious health problems. A high protein diet will result in increased urea levels in the urine causing ulceration and prolapse of the penis sheath. A high energy diet (eg grain overload) can lead to lactic acidosis. This is most likely to occur during adjustment periods or if bunk space is limited.

Supplement Feeding

Elk can be fed a wide variety of grains. Whole oats is a popular choice among elk producers as there is little chance of digestive upset and animals adapt to it quickly.

Free choice mineral consumption is very low and variable. It is best to mix the minerals into a supplement which is provided in a small amount year round. Elk have vitamin and mineral requirements similar to other domestic livestock. The minimum copper requirement is higher than the minimum copper requirement set by NRC but at 15 mg/kg dry matter (ppm) is not higher than the minimum requirement usually followed in practice.
 

Sources:

1. Haigh and Hudson. Farming Wapiti and Red Deer. 1993.
2. Bruce Friedel and Robert Hudson. Feeding Velvet Stags.

Prepared by:

Karen Dupchak
Farm Production Extension, Animal Nutritionist
Manitoba Agriculture Food, and Rural Initiatives
Phone: 204-945-7668