» CWD RESEARCH
Have You Heard of
Humic Acid? It seems every year there is a new product or additive that falls under what I call the “silver bullet” category. Most of these miracle cures are typically marketed toward helping with CWD, EHD or improving antler production beyond imagination. In my experience, most of these silver bullets get debunked over time due to not showing enough response to warrant the cost of the “silver”. These additives are usually nonmedicated nutraceutical or natural additives that have often shown promise in other species when it comes to nutritional performance. Tangents are typically drawn to whitetail and responses warranted are often not supported by any significant data though. With that being said, when I was first approached about possibly finding a source of Humic Acid (HA) to put in 56
North American Deer Farmer
deer feed, you can say I was skeptical at best and assumed it was simply the next “silver bullet”. To my surprise, the more I looked into HA and talked to breeders that have used it, the more intrigued I have become when it comes to this additive. HA is nothing new, it has been around for a long time and used throughout the agriculture industry. HA has been well documented in nutritional trials particularly on the beef and dairy side of the fence and shown to improve microbial function in the rumen and digestive tract of cattle. This in turn positively influences the productivity and the quality of their production. What really makes HA appealing is that natural organic additives are typically a better alternative to antibiotics. Quantifying performance of these nADeFA.org
Spring 2020
