When they won't eat brassica's

[shawnv]

So I've planted brassica's for a few years now on my home farm and the deer won't hardly touch it and the same goes for other landowners in the area. Yet I've planted it in other areas and they won't leave a lick of it. We're beyond them "learning" to like it at home so is this more to do with them getting whatever they need nutritionally from something else where they say forget it?

As of right now I do not plan to plant any brassica's going forward unless it's to loosen the soil or add some N in the Spring in a cover crop rotation.

 

[tooln]

I'm in the same boat. Since the cost isn't that high for what I plant I'll keep planting them in a mix for the soil benefits. Maybe some day they'll eat them.

 

[Terrific_tom]

Shawn you are from Wisconsin. Hard to believe that the deer by you don't devour your brassicas. Have you tried the Ground Hog Radish? It is in the brassica family and usually the deer will eat it before a good frost unlike the other brassicas. Have you tried mixing brassicas in with a cereal grain and clover mix?

 

[wiscwhip]

I was going to mention the GHR's as well TT. I haven't seen deer not eat them in my personal experience, but I guess everybody's deer are different. I know Shawn is north of me somewhere near Trempealeau Co. I work with a guy that lives in Tremp, just east of the Buffalo Co line, he plants between 4-7 acres of mixed brassicas every year and his deer eat them all to the ground by spring.

 

[wildfire]

I accidentally got some gfr seed dropped in my soybeans, The deer had them browsed off long before fields of brassicas only.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

i do remember there was a dude from PA on the dark side that was bout 45-50 mins from me and he had been planting brassicas for some ridiculous amount of time (like 10-12 yrs) with out deer doing anything more than a little nibble on the leaves here and and there....and then one year they just pounded the snot out of them. Anecdotal for sure....but it always amazes me to see/hear about deer and brassicas. I'm on the 5th yr of planting them now and all but the first year the deer eat start eating them once they are about 6" (only some varieties not all)....no frost required.

 

[kabic]

I planted some PTT last fall and I believe I am probably 30 minutes south of Shawn and am getting some use. Not sure if they are still using them, but in the earlier part of winter they were digging in the snow for them. I planted a little late this year, so they never got very mature.

 

[Terrific_tom]

I planted some PTT last fall and I believe I am probably 30 minutes south of Shawn and am getting some use. Not sure if they are still using them, but in the earlier part of winter they were digging in the snow for them. I planted a little late this year, so they never got very mature.

Wouldn't surprise me if they were not cleaned up the deer will come back this spring and eat what ever is remaining.

 

[shawnv]

On my farm I planted two years of Honey Hole and another small company brassica blend in different plots and I would say I had less than 2% usage, clover and beans were planted next to this area at that time. Last year I planted Big & Beasty in a different spot and right next to a mix of winter oats, awp and winter rye. I would again estimate usage at less than 2%. I have a friend 20 miles from me in Buffalo County that has done the exact same thing and the blend was eaten heavily. I've planted this in two counties north and it was demolished before november and the property I am set to close a sale on in a few weeks 30 miles to the East had a tecomante and deer creek brassica blend I mixed in with the oats, asp and rye and it was gobbled up this fall. I only used those brands because my dad had already purchased it before passing away but it worked. Some friends within a couple miles of me also have planted brassicas for more than one season and the usage has been similar to what I see on my home farm.

I might be willing to try GHR if it's any different than what I have already used but I'm thinking there has to be something the deer have here are already, maybe just within the soil nutrient composition that makes them not crave brassicas.

 

[shawnv]

Also interesting is that the biggest hit on my farm last fall was WTI clover and buckwheat over the oats, awp and rye.

 

[wiscwhip]

I have a friend 20 miles from me in Buffalo County that has done the exact same thing and the blend was eaten heavily. I've planted this in two counties north and it was demolished before november and the property I am set to close a sale on in a few weeks 30 miles to the East had a tecomante and deer creek brassica blend I mixed in with the oats, asp and rye and it was gobbled up this fall.

Snooty Trempealeau Co deer, that is the problem.

 

[shawnv]

Well it could be because the population has been low enough the past few years where there isn't much competition for the corn, beans and cereal grains so that goes along with the "snooty" comment. In the areas where it was gobbled up the deer density was significantly higher.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

GHR is a radish and isn't in any commercial BOB that I know of. They'll eat if before a frost. I'd definitely give them a try.

IIRC Ground Hog is a brand of daikon radish. There are some commercially available food plot seed blends (BOB)with daikon radishes that I have seen before...can't remember them off the top of my head.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

My theory on why brassicas aren't used in some places is that the soil is lacking something that makes them taste good to deer.

I often wondered the same...is the soil deficient or abundant in something that turns deer off to them?

 

[j-bird]

I have planted them for years here and they mainly just rot in the ground. They have started to eat a few, but in my case the deer simply choose what they can find of the corn and beans left in the fields. I also tend to NOT get the snow cover. Mine turn brown and soggy due to the fluctuations in temp but no snow cover. I have mixed them with cereal grains as well. I continue to plant them simply because they are cheap and are good organic matter and just to give the deer choices. I have planted appin and purple top turnips as well as GFR and pretty much doesn't matter. If I want to feed the deer in the late season in my area - the best way to do that is with standing corn or beans. The deer have proven that to me more than once now.

 

[sandbur]

I believe brassica, beet, and radish use is dependent on the deer numbers and what other feed is available.

I had a handful of turnips eaten in the last week and just a few beet tops nibbled on. Pretty much a waste of time, just like the last 15 years.

 

[younggun1849]

I'm only a few miles from Shawns place, and my results have been similar. I planted a 1/2 acre plot last fall, I planted Groundhog Radishes in 1/3 of the plot, Purple Top Turnips in 1/3 of it, and Dwarf Essex Rape in the remaining 1/3 of the plot. I planted them separately so I could keep tabs on what they were hitting. They hit the radishes really well in October, the PTT didn't get a lot of attention, the DER did get hit during November after it got cold. I was disappointed in the PTT, and I'm not going to be planting PTT anymore, but will experiment further with GHR & DER.

 

[Terrific_tom]

I'm only a few miles from Shawns place, and my results have been similar. I planted a 1/2 acre plot last fall, I planted Groundhog Radishes in 1/3 of the plot, Purple Top Turnips in 1/3 of it, and Dwarf Essex Rape in the remaining 1/3 of the plot. I planted them separately so I could keep tabs on what they were hitting. They hit the radishes really well in October, the PTT didn't get a lot of attention, the DER did get hit during November after it got cold. I was disappointed in the PTT, and I'm not going to be planting PTT anymore, but will experiment further with GHR & DER.

The last 3 years I have been using Barkant turnips and Barnipoli rape instead of the PTT and DER. The Barkant and Barnipoli both put on a little more leaf and the deer seem to hit them earlier and more steady. Welters sells both varieties.

 

[wiscwhip]

I would second the Barkant turnips, try them as an alternative to the PPT. We had good luck with them on our place as well, but our deer devoured all brassicas, even ppt.

 

[phil@thesidehill]

anyone with experience using pasja hybrid forage brassica?