EHD – Expect Healthy Deer Technology™
Expect Healthy Deer Technology™
Dr. Aaron Gaines, Ph.D. and Brent Ratliff, M.S. are two very well respected livestock nutritionists with considerable experience in research and development for the animal nutrition industry. They are also avid deer hunters and sought to use their knowledge of animal nutrition to help combat death losses in whitetails due to Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). Together they researched and developed a product that they believed could have numerous health and performance benefits for whitetails.
They tested their new product on captive deer herds and were amazed at the results. In one of their earlier tests a captive deer herd in Missouri was fed the product and did not lose a single deer to EHD while less than one mile away another captive deer herd lost over 70 animals to the disease in one season! They knew they were on to something but due to their “day jobs” as livestock nutritionists they lacked the resources needed to properly market their discovery.
After a series of meetings and lengthy discussions Real World Wildlife Products secured the rights to this amazing technology. Real World was adamant about doing larger scale testing of the product before bringing it to market. The product underwent extensive testing in 2016 using captive deer herds so that we could control intake of the product and closely monitor the deer consuming it. The tests took place in numerous captive whitetail herds in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana. We even specifically sought herds in which EHD death losses had been an issue in previous years. Again the results were astounding. Not a single deer was lost to EHD!
Field testers also noticed other benefits such as fewer flies and other insects on their deer and around their facilities, better overall health of their deer, and even improved antler growth. We are excited about the possibilities that this new technology offers land managers to help reduce losses to EHD as it certainly represents another “tool” in the proverbial toolbox.
To further legitimize this new discovery, Real World Wildlife Products brought on board one of the world’s most respected whitetail veterinarians as a consultant in this process. Dr. Clifford Shipley from the University of Illinois is not only feeding Expect Healthy Deer Technology to his captive whitetails, elk and mule deer, but is advising us as we make decisions regarding technical matters.
Other companies claim to have nutritionists and veterinarians behind the development of their products. We give you the names of ours and challenge you to search these names on the internet to learn more about their impressive resumes.
What is Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD)?
Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) is a hemorrhagic disease caused by an infection of a virus affecting certain species of animals, especially deer, although it can also affect elk and cattle. Death losses in deer from EHD are very high and in localized outbreaks can wipe out a large percentage of a deer herd. The EHD virus is spread by small biting midge gnats and is commonly an issue in the late summer and early fall months. Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease is sometime referred to as bluetongue; however this is incorrect. Bluetongue virus is closely related to EHD in terms of being spread by biting midge gnats and has similar clinical signs, but they are technically different diseases. Deer that have contracted EHD typically develop clinical signs as little as 7 days after initial exposure. In general, deer infected with EHD lose their appetite, lose their fear of people, grow weak, show excessive salivation, develop a rapid pulse, have a high respiration rate, show signs of fever which include laying in bodies of water to reduce their body temperature, become unconscious, and have a blue tongue from the lack of oxygen in the blood. Additionally, the head and neck of infected deer may swell and they may bleed from the mouth and nostrils. Outbreaks of EHD generally end with the first killing frost which kills the midge gnats that carry the virus and infect deer they come in contact with.
What is in Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ ?
Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ is a blend of all-natural ingredients from around the world with scientifically proven health and performance benefits. By combining these ingredients at the correct levels, Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ helps deer combat disease issues such as EHD in multiple ways.
What are the benefits of feeding Expect Healthy Deer Technology™?
Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ is much more than just a way to help combat EHD. There are numerous benefits which help to keep deer healthy and productive. Here are some of them –
* Enhances the immune system –This helps deer stay healthy from other disease and health risks.
*Optimizes digestion via improved rumen and gut health –This allows deer to better absorb and utilize nutrients ingested through feeding.
*Enhances antler growth –This happens through several ways. To start a healthier animal is a more productive animal. A buck that has an enhanced immune system and proper digestive health is better able to convert the nutrients it consumes into antler. Also the vasodilatation properties increase blood flow and thus nutrient delivery to growing antlers.
*Aids in reducing biting insects –Insects not only pose a variety of disease and health issues but they also cause an animal discomfort and make them less productive.
*Mitigates heat stress –The vasodilatation properties caused by the consumption of Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ helps an animal dissipate heat and remain more comfortable and thus productive.
*Promotes feed intake –Expect Healthy Deer Technology contains appetite stimulants to encourage an animal to consume more feed. With a well-tuned digestive system the animal is then able to covert those nutrients to body maintenance and growth, fawn production, milk for nursing fawns and antler growth.
*Improves reproductive performance –An animal with a well-tuned digestive system and immune system is better equipped to breed on time, have more fawns and better care for those fawns through increased milk supply. The resulting bigger and healthier fawns are then better positioned to survive and become larger, healthier and more productive adults.
Should Expect Healthy Deer Technology products be used year round?
While Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ was originally developed to help combat death losses in wild and captive deer due to epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), testing has shown a number of other performance benefits. Keep in mind that some of the ingredients in Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ are commonly used year-round in various livestock industries with scientifically proven benefits. When those ingredients are combined with the not-so-common other ingredients, there is a magnification of health and production benefits. These benefits do not stop once EHD season has passed.
Several captive deer farmers are now feeding Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ to their animals year round and seeing noticeable results. Keep in mind that captive deer are already getting scientifically developed diets that are much better than the diets of wild deer. If Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ can help captive deer, just imagine how much more impact it can have on wild deer.
What is the best way to get Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ into my deer?
A deer needs to consume enough Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ to have a real impact on that animal. With captive deer this is easily achieved but with free-ranging wild deer it becomes a bit more challenging. Real World Wildlife Products is marketing a number of products to help you get this important new discovery into your deer. We suggest that you utilize as many of these products as possible and make them readily available to your deer across your entire property. By having numerous mineral licks, feeding stations, etc., it increases the likelihood than an individual animal will regularly consume enough Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ for it to be noticeably effective.
Maximizer Plus Deer Mineral is a great way to give your deer the minerals and vitamins they need while also keeping them alive, healthy and productive.
Maximizer Plus Feed Additive is a concentrated product that is mixed with feed. A 20# bag treats one ton of feed. This is a great way for captive deer farmers and land managers alike to deliver Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ to their deer.
Maximizer Plus Liquid Attractant is a great way to attract deer to a game-camera site or tree stand location while also getting more Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ into a deer’s system.
Maximizer Plus “Soy Magnet” is an attractant that contains Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ and draws in deer like a magnet. If you use an attractant you really need to try this product!
Real World honesty –
Let’s be completely honest, with the challenges presented by free-ranging wild deer it is going to be next to impossible to get every single animal to regularly consume enough of this product. However, what would it be worth if during an EHD outbreak you can save half of your deer that would have otherwise died? What if one of the deer you save is that mature buck that you have been watching grow up on your property for the last 5 years and have your sights set on tagging next fall?
While Real World Wildlife Products will always strive to bring the highest quality products to market, we will not use deception, lies, or false information to sell them. We fully believe that Expect Healthy Deer Technology™ can indeed help save deer from disease issues such as EHD and also provide other benefits as well. We also realize that the ultimate challenge is delivering this technology in adequate doses to wild deer on a consistent basis. To help address this important issue we have developed a full line of products that include Expect Healthy Deer Technology™. The more opportunities that a deer on your property has to consume these products, the better that individuals chances are of surviving a disease outbreak such as EHD. Ultimately you as the land-manager have to be dedicated, creative and diligent in your efforts to make it available to your deer herd.
