What approximate percentage of their body weight must deer consume daily from spring through fall to maintain health?
Answer
6% to 8%
To sustain health and energy levels throughout the active seasons, spanning from spring until fall when foraging conditions are generally suitable, white-tailed deer have a significant requirement for digestible intake. They need to consume forage equivalent to approximately 6% to 8% of their total body weight on a daily basis. This high volume, coupled with the necessity for efficiency because of their specialized digestive system, underscores why high-quality, nutrient-dense forage is constantly paramount for their survival and physiological needs.
Related Questions
What physiological classification describes the white-tailed deer's survival strategy based on food selection?Which primary food source is king during the Spring Protein Rush due to high nutritional return?What constitutes the backbone of the white-tailed deer's diet during the lean months of winter?What highly sought-after food source dictates the deer diet in the Fall to build necessary fat reserves?Which plant category is generally the least desirable for a concentrate selector like the deer?What key anatomical features enable a deer to delicately pick out specific plant parts?What approximate percentage of their body weight must deer consume daily from spring through fall to maintain health?What is the primary physiological risk of feeding deer high-starch corn during winter stress?How does acidic or phosphorus-deficient local soil structure impact the nutritional quality of spring forbs?What dietary shift occurs as summer progresses because forbs begin increasing in lignin content?