Protein Pellet Ingredients

[JWHunt]

Im just trying to ask questions that are important points in feeding deer. You read a lot of scientific articles about deer feed products that say what can happen if presented in diet. Cattle feeders will not feed it to there bulls. If it only affects the reproduction by 1/3 then if a buck only breeds 3 does in one breeding season( free range low or high fence) then you might only impregnate 1-2 does. So you might not be replacing the herd like you think you are.

[TXBRASS]

I'm already building my stack of DD and L&E for the next trip west to fill feeders. Gonna mix it 50-50. 2 high quality feeds with separate protein sources and vitamin contents should cover the spectrum and provide all that I can give to the deer out there.



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[JWHunt]

That just might be the ticket Cody. Can't wait to see the results.

[TXBRASS]

I know very little about the science behind feeding deer supplemental protein, but I compare it to workout diets for strength and size gains which I did for years. In years passed, guys would eat tuna from daylight to dark and made great gains, but when that trend began to fade and they ate tuna, chicken, eggs, and beef they found that they made quicker and better gains. The reason was different protein sources which digested at different rates and offered a wider range of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
This may be a 100% apples to oranges comparison and have ZERO relationship to deer protein, but it makes sense in my head and I figure with both DD & L&E (which are both avaialble here locally) I can offer the widest range of high quality protein and vitamin content.

Just my thoughts.....

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[DF&G]

Im just trying to ask questions that are important points in feeding deer. You read a lot of scientific articles about deer feed products that say what can happen if presented in diet. Cattle feeders will not feed it to there bulls. If it only affects the reproduction by 1/3 then if a buck only breeds 3 does in one breeding season( free range low or high fence) then you might only impregnate 1-2 does. So you might not be replacing the herd like you think you are.

To our knowledge none of our customers have ran into a issue with cottonseed regardless of the form. The cattle industry has been utilizing all components of the cotton plant from whole cottonseed to cottonseed meal to gin trash and burrs for ages.

[gingib]

mixing it evenly 50/50 seems like a PIA to me...unless you have a good method

[TXBRASS]

We hand fill feeders one bag at a time. Fill 5,000 pounds worth in about half a days work between 3 guys. It's a pain, but the only way out there. 50-50 is easy...just alternate one bag at a time while filling.

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[Slick8]

Here is the list thus far:
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Shiner, TX
Hunt In: Dryden & Hallettsville, TX

Cody, are you feeding protein on your Hallettsville lease? If so, what kind of consumption have you seen compared to years past?

As I've stated on previous threads I feed protein to hold and attract mature bucks as much as the benefits to the deer. I hunt a small but very productive 450 acre pasture. It has 4 corn fields totaling 100 acres, hay fields which are drilled with oats in the fall and excellent pasture lands. One addition that is a benefit from the corn is every time a disc is ran over the corn fields, new browse pops up and the native browse adjacent to the fields benefit from the little extra kick of fertilizer.

Having said all that, I haven't seen much protein consumption from the deer, perhaps a bit less than normal but it's been a really wet year. One of the reasons that I switched to DD was it's marketed attractiveness to deer.

I happened on an accidental discovery. In trying to bait a very large hog that's been frequenting my protein feeder I dumped a bag of corn just a few feet from it...To my surprise the deer are hitting the corn 10:1 vs. the protein. It makes me think that I need to mix some corn in my protein and keep it that way. Once the corn in the fields start to firm up in about July, they hardly touch the protein and live in the corn fields.

This is in a low deer density area for the region btw.

[TXBRASS]

We have a family place near hallettsville which is 300 acres. We mainly feed corn there as the hogs have moved in and due to our feeder pens being barbed wire (gotta fix that) they were getting more protein than deer. I have 4 sons, so I'm pretty much just a guide out there. My Dryden lease is MY 6 day get-away each year....other than that, it's all about the boys.

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[Slick8]

Understood, I've never fenced my protein feeder as I didn't have a hog problem till recently and since I've trapped the last sounder we only have a lone boar to deal with.

He has a date with some dogs very shortly.

[bphillips]

What about Gossypol ?????
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2014/231635/

Irrelevant in free range deer. Their diet will never be a high enough % to affect them and if that is a concern to you stop feeding it 30 days before season and by the time they're breeding they will be good to go anyway.

[gingib]

Irrelevant in free range deer. Their diet will never be a high enough % to affect them and if that is a concern to you stop feeding it 30 days before season and by the time they're breeding they will be good to go anyway.

x2!

Cody, are you feeding protein on your Hallettsville lease? If so, what kind of consumption have you seen compared to years past?

As I've stated on previous threads I feed protein to hold and attract mature bucks as much as the benefits to the deer. I hunt a small but very productive 450 acre pasture. It has 4 corn fields totaling 100 acres, hay fields which are drilled with oats in the fall and excellent pasture lands. One addition that is a benefit from the corn is every time a disc is ran over the corn fields, new browse pops up and the native browse adjacent to the fields benefit from the little extra kick of fertilizer.

Having said all that, I haven't seen much protein consumption from the deer, perhaps a bit less than normal but it's been a really wet year. One of the reasons that I switched to DD was it's marketed attractiveness to deer.

I happened on an accidental discovery. In trying to bait a very large hog that's been frequenting my protein feeder I dumped a bag of corn just a few feet from it...To my surprise the deer are hitting the corn 10:1 vs. the protein. It makes me think that I need to mix some corn in my protein and keep it that way. Once the corn in the fields start to firm up in about July, they hardly touch the protein and live in the corn fields.

This is in a low deer density area for the region btw.

Way down compared to years past, but in the last 2 weeks I have noticed a huge spike in consumption as it gets warmer.

[Slick8]

I'm expecting consumption to pick up as well. Seems like the natural browse isn't as attractive as it warms and the antler growth is about to kick into high gear making them like teenaged boys after football practice....bottomless pits.

[Peyton]

Pregnant does increase their intake dramatically from May to late July in STX. As their fetus matures and their milk comes in, they get hangry. Sound familiar? [emoji15]

[TXBRASS]

I filled feeders yesterday in Dryden and had a few bags of L&E and DD left so knowing that they both have some of the the highest TDN available, I poured a 50 pound mound of DD right beside a 50 pound mound of L&E, directly in front of the game camera. Will be another 70 days before I go back to pull cards and refill feeders, but we shall see if one pile gets hit or disappears faster than the other. I don't have a dog in this fight either way and I buy equal amounts of both brand, but just curious if one is preferred over the other on my lease and thought yall might be interested in the results.