Protein feed for feeders

[Bob White]

Homesteaders and preppers on yt and there's been an article or 2. It's been on their chicken feed. Nothing said about other feeds. It's been discussed that the poor quality of grains is having an effect. It was also mentioned that the bulk of our amino acids are purchased from China . sure the deer aren't going to complain but keep an eye on your cattle.

TSC also took some criticism over sponsoring a gay pride event in Waco, Tx where trannies reportedly did a "story time" with young children.

 

[kirk1978]

Deer don't hit salt blocks directly. They will hit the leachate off the salt block. If you look at the contents of a deer food block you will see that salt is only a small percentage of the content. I am feeding corn, mineral, a little rice bran and peanut meal and some 20% protein feed twice daily to 10 deer,bucks and does. BUT IT IS CHEAPER TO GROW PROTEIN than feed it. I also have a food plot next door to the feed trough for them to graze on when they want. I just fertilized the plot yesterday when there was no wind. The soil temps are slowly rising as I am seeing a little growth. I fertilized the plot not to target the plants BUT to feed the soil microorganisms. which feed the plants. My .02

I have a few does that will hit the salt block by itself. Mostly coyotes pee on it though.

 

[dennishoddy]

I haven’t tried cotton seed, but after multiple attempts over the last 20 years, deer WILL NOT come to a mineral or salt lick.

Same here. I've tried them all.
Edit:
The soil and forage supply all the nutrients they need at my locations. Others will vary in their results.
We aren't lacking on antler growth or mass, so it must be good for them.
I've even taken apples and white oak acorns to be dumped out near the feeder. Other than coons, nothing touched several 5 gallon buckets of apples thrown out over a series of weeks.
I'd be wasting my money on apple flavored corn or any of the acorn attractants.

 

[2busy]

Clay can be "broken down" with certain organic products.

It won't break down rocks. I don't want to pick up trailer loads of rocks again like I did when I was a kid.

 

[2busy]

Same here. I've tried them all.
Edit:
The soil and forage supply all the nutrients they need at my locations. Others will vary in their results.
We aren't lacking on antler growth or mass, so it must be good for them.
I've even taken apples and white oak acorns to be dumped out near the feeder. Other than coons, nothing touched several 5 gallon buckets of apples thrown out over a series of weeks.
I'd be wasting my money on apple flavored corn or any of the acorn attractants.

The deer will eat every pear and apple they can reach off my trees. They come up and eat acorns behind my shop. I hauled the pears that hit the ground to scatter around the feeder. They eat every one every night and come up to check the trees every night.

 

[dennishoddy]

The deer will eat every pear and apple they can reach off my trees. They come up and eat acorns behind my shop. I hauled the pears that hit the ground to scatter around the feeder. They eat every one every night and come up to check the trees every night.

45 miles away from our farms/hunting area in Grant county is our home in Osage county. Our apple tree in the yard where I harvested the apples has deer on it every night when they are getting ripe and dropping. Wife has pics of does on their hind legs flailing the branches to get more.
Our yard is full of acorn trees of different varieties that the deer gorge on daily when they are dropping.
Grant county has zero acorn trees of any kind within 20+ sq miles That I drive regularly as the farms are quite scattered. Trees in general are few and far between period. I've never seen an apple or fruit tree of any kind there either in my lifetime.
They have never experienced them so probably are unsure of what they are? Don't know but I do know the unblinking eye of a game cam doesn't lie along with hundreds of hours in the deer stand observing. That's why I said others may have different experiences.
They are pretty partial to the thousands of acres of corn, milo, wheat, soybeans, alfalfa and so on that are grown year around in our area.

 

[Dorkus]

Anyone ever try alfalfa pellets? I am curious if they work.

 

[retrieverman]

Anyone ever try alfalfa pellets? I am curious if they work.

I know some folks that feed alfalfa bales, but I don’t know anyone that feeds pellets. I bet they would eat them, but I’m not sure what would be the best delivery method….covered trough?

 

[cowadle]

what are the protein requirements for deer? i would guess that you need to supplement energy instead of protein???? whole corn is 9 percent protein

https://wildlifeleadershipacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/9.-White-Tailed-Deer-Nutrition-HuntingPA.com_.pdf

why not call a mill and have them mix a ration for you? or get a grinder mixer and make your own???

 

[jackinok09]

I actually tested this on our old place in western Okla (520 acres), as to whether or not it would help. For two years I shot 11/2-2-year-old bucks and had the antlers mounted. then I started feeding corn year-round in two feeders. shot the same age class bucks (verified by trail cams) and had antlers mounted. I did feed only for two years, then started putting out mineral blocks and making mineral/salt lick piles on ground for two years. and had those antlers mounted. though the gains were small you COULD actually tell an improvement in antler growth and mass overall. plus, there was decided decrease in bucks with broken antlers on trail cams. Was the investment worth it? in all actuality probably not if antler growth was your only criteria. the overall weight of these animals did increase but whether that was due to simply having more feed available or that the quality of feed changed I have no way of guessing. but i would suspect it was due to both and the fact that they didn't have to travel as far to fill their bellies.
now I only fed corn, regular cattle mineral blocks and used commercial deer supplements you buy over counter. I have a bro-in-law that feeds high protein feed year-round and has done it for several years on several thousand acres he leases or owns. he grows some truly massive whitetails, but they have very little to no hunting pressure, have access to constant high protein feed and all the wheat they can eat within a very small (relatively) range. once again though he has a feed bill several times the probable average income.
my final analysis, yes it does help with overall herd health. with the added benefit of keeping more deer localized. but is it really worth the investment on a small acreage? I don't think so in all reality if antler growth is the only goal. case in point, I personally watched a very good buck all year on trail cams on my current 77-acre place.as soon as rut kicked in, he disappeared. I went to coffee shop a few days later and neighbor approx. 5 miles away was showing pictures of the buck he shot. it was the very buck I had fed all year that had travelled that far off his normal range. if you've got enough area then yes i believe you can grow some truly impressive bucks but it's very expensive overall and you have to keep them home.
There is a reason why game dept will help on habitat improvement only if it's for a continuous thousand acres or more.