What’s Needed to Maximize Antler Growth?
- The mineral content of whitetail deer antlers have been found to be composed of:
Calcium: 19.01%
Phosphorus 10.13%
Magnesium 1.09%
These ratios are comparable to those found in bone. A good mineral should supplement these nutrients, in addition to the amounts found in the basal diet or habitat, to provide these main, and/or “macro” minerals, in approximately the correct ratio. Big Buck Mineral® has these essential nutrients where as most other brands appear to have little to no nutritional value. - Salt. Deer minerals should have no more then 34%-36% salt. Higher levels are a cheap carrier, leaving too little room for Calcium, Phosphorus, and other important nutrients needed for maximum antler growth and the total health of your deer herd. We have lowered our maximum salt level to 13% which is one f the lowest in the industry….it’s enough to keep them coming back to your site, but no so much as to be used as a “filler”.
- Trace Minerals. Antlers also contain various other minerals, including zinc and manganese. Research shows that deer are able to pull Calcium and Phosphorus from their bone for use in antler growth in season, and replace it in the bone during the times of year when antlers are not growing. But that same research has been unable to find that deer can resorb the trace minerals needed for antler growth from their bones. Big Buck provides these nutrients in balance, while others have little, none, or imbalanced levels.
- Vitamins. Vitamin D is important for Calcium and Phosphorus metabolism. Only half the competitors lists any
What are the Benefits of Vitamins, Minerals and Chelated Minerals?
- Calcium: Bone and antler growth, teeth, milk production for fawns, muscle contration
- Phosphorus: Bone and antler growth, reproduction, and energy metabolism
- Magnesium: Bones and antlers. Enzyme function
- Potassium: Electrolyte and fluid balance, handling heat stress
- Copper: confactor in several metobolic functions, hemoglobin synthesis, bone formation, maintenance of myelin sheath of nerves, reproduction. Deficiancy can lead to joint swelling, fragile bones and anemia.
- Sodium: Major component of extra-cellular fluid important in osmotic balance and acid based equilibrium
- Chlorine: Essential counter-balnce to sodium, needed for hydrochloric acid production for digestion
- Cobalt: Ruminants (like deer) use to make Vitamin B12. Deficiency leads to anemia
- Iron: Hemoglobin formation. Deficiency leads to anemia
- Manganese: Used as cofactor in many enzyme functions related to energy and protein metabolism
- Zinc: Enzyme cofactor, skin and hair health
(Chelated Zinc, manganese and copper: Improved absorption and utilization of these minerals) - Selenium: Important antioxident factor, reproductive heatlth and performance
- Iodine: for thyroid function. Deficiencies lead to stillbirths and goiter
- Vitamin A: Needed for bone formation, eye health, reproduction
- Vitamin D3: Bone formation, Calcium and Phosphorus absorption and metabolism
- Vitamin E: Important for both male and female reproductive functions, immunity, colostrum quality. Important antioxidant
