Throwing Protein vs. Free Feeding

[bjstockard]

I'm trying to settle a debate. Please be as honest as you can about your thoughts on the following (you won't hurt my feelings):

For a 3,000 acre place, which set up would you rather have? Please consider from each point of view:

1) As the one paying for it.

2) As the one not paying for it, but enjoying the benefits of it.

3) As the one filling up and maintaining the feeders.

4) As a conservationist. (mainly considering the overall habitat, birds, predators, deer, snakes, ants etc.)

5) As a hunter (mainly considering horn growth and deer management).

Set Up I:
-Four 1,000lb free feed protein feeders, each directly next to a 300lb corn feeder that throws a 70/30 mix of corn and birdseed. Each protein feeder is surrounded by a hog panel feeder pin and is spread out across the ranch.

-Nine additional corn feeders with no surrounding feeder pins throwing a mix of corn and birdseed.

-Each feeder goes off for 5 seconds

Set Up II:

-Four 1,000lb free feed protein feeders, each next to a 300lb corn feeder that throws a mix of corn, birdseed, and protein pellets. Once again, each protein feeder is surrounded by a hog panel feeder pin and spread out through the ranch.

-Nine additional corn feeders with no surrounding feeder pins throwing a mix of corn, birdseed, and protein.

-Each feeder goes off for 10 seconds

[Mike Murphey]

I'm not really sure what you are wanting but to feed protein you are wasting your money by spinning it out, as you might be spinning it when the deer don't need it and once it sits on the ground very long the deer will turn their noses up on it and whne they need it they need more than you can spin out...and to feed it free choice you need to have enough feeders to keep as many of the deer coming to it as possible. If you don't have enough feeders, the dominate deer will keep the rest of the deer from coming in to it, so by having more feeders the less dominate deer will be abloe to come in and feed. We make our protein feeders separate from any corn feeder as we want the deer to feel comfortable and not worried about coming to the feed whenever they want it....

[JeffJ]

Honestly, don't waste yours or anyone else's money throwing protein out of a spin feeder. You won't be helping the deer much if at all.

[Codie]

Option 2 (for the added spin feeder attraction): I have found that slinging protein from your spin feeders after they find and get accustomed to the protien in the free choice feeders picks up some extra activity at the spin feeders. Deer just like protein more than they do corn. We saw a big difference when we started throwing the protien that we had been feeding from free choice feeders all year long in our spin feeders.

[mhbaseball]

wasting money throwing protein on ground, so you know my choice

They will eat corn versus protein now anyways. Why the birdseed? Just curious

[bjstockard]

One of the owners likes to sit in the blinds and watch birds.

[Codie]

wasting money throwing protein on ground, so you know my choice

They will eat corn versus protein now anyways. Why the birdseed? Just curious

not our deer - give them protien from the spinners any day over corn - If they are eating it (and you are feeding them free choice) how do you get that it is wasting money throwing protien from a spinner as well? They eat it just like corn, it is better for them than corn, and they come looking for it more than when corn is in the feeder

[txdukklr]

my bigger concern was always that protein gums up in a corn thrower. I tried it one year and it was an absolute mess.

i prefer free choice

[hammer63]

Depends a whole lot on deer density and I address the question only as it pertains to DEER.

The numbers of feeders you've quoted are a good effort but 1000# feeder per 750 acres fed free-choice is about half of what they need for optimum results, especially under present conditions and assuming moderate to heavy deer density.

Paying for it sux but you get out of it - what you put into it.

[DonBon]

I have feed a protein corn mix for years.It was all the owner was willing to spend. Its not the best but it does help. I do have trouble keeping the feeders from clogging up during wet years.Its all about what your willing to spend as it can get exspensive real quick. Also we have feed milo in the feeders and great luck with turkeys and song birds alike. I have also used chicken scratch which are all cheaper than bird seed.Hogs also love this mix by the way.

[bjstockard]

Thanks for the input.

[sundownbrown]

Ive been putting milo in my feeders and seeing tons of turkeys. They are really staying around.

[ClayW]

wasting money throwing protein on ground, so you know my choice

They will eat corn versus protein now anyways. Why the birdseed? Just curious

I would guess to feed the birds

[canny]

If your feeding protein then it's in a nutritional basis and they are going to get all they need out of a free choice. So you are covered by having the free choice available but are wasting money mixing it with corn in your feeders. So go with option one and put the money that you would waste with protein in option 2 to good use.

[Tx625]

Protein in protein feeder, corn in corn feeder, bird feed in a bird feeder! If you keep putting bird feed in your feeder, you wont have and deer, nothing but Turkeys!