Cotton Seed

[Jaredlee264]

Who uses Cotton seed and what do you think about it. What are the best feeder designs.


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[Royal21973]

Do it!!! It will take a while to get them on it, but once they figure it out they will hammer it hard. We use plastic truck bed liners with a slope to drain the rain water right off. You will get more mass and sticker points. I have seen people use 4’ foot fence on a circle, but you get a lot of cotton seed around the station on the floor and the deer step on it.

[RMW]

Do it!!! It will take a while to get them on it, but once they figure it out they will hammer it hard. We use plastic truck bed liners with a slope to drain the rain water right off. You will get more mass and sticker points. I have seen people use 4’ foot fence on a circle, but you get a lot of cotton seed around the station on the floor and the deer step on it.

You got a pic of your bedliners filled with cottonseed? I’m going to start feeding it this year

[junior]

Do it!!! It will take a while to get them on it, but once they figure it out they will hammer it hard. We use plastic truck bed liners with a slope to drain the rain water right off. You will get more mass and sticker points. I have seen people use 4’ foot fence on a circle, but you get a lot of cotton seed around the station on the floor and the deer step on it.

Please post a picture of your set up


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[PYBUCK]

Expect cottonseed to be expensive this year. A bunch of the cotton is still in the field flooded. Going to create a shortage and the gins have contracts for the majority of it and sell the surplus to the public. Deer love it and it is about 26% protein, but i think it lacks the right protein to bypass and equate to mass. The deer will be fat for sure.

[deerwatcher51]

I use the t-post with wire. It's true that there is some seed that accumulates at the bottom, but they will eat that when the feeder is empty. It took my deer almost five months to start eating the cottonseed but when they did I could not keep it the feeder filled.

[2coolforschool]

Axis love the stuff too.


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[TX CHICKEN]

Do hogs mess with it?

[hillcountryhunter]

We use the wire and t-post method. What gets spilled on the ground will get cleaned up when the feeder is empty. I put my last load out for the year and will resume in late January. I run protein year around but only feed cotton seed January through October.

[hillcountryhunter]

Do hogs mess with it?

I don’t know about pigs but the javelinas don’t seem to eat it.

[mastercraftka]

Do hogs mess with it?

My hogs tore it up!!!

[bbqfan5909]

Hogs try to eat it but cant digest it. You will see around a cotton feeder what looks like chewed up puke.

[RascalArms]

Cotton Seed

Do hogs mess with it?

There ain’t much hogs won’t mess with but it’s my understanding they have a hard time digesting cottonseed.

Type in “Cottonseed” in the search function here and you will see more info on the subject than you can possibly retain. Cottonseed works and is far more affordable than most other protein sources, is weather proof and coons won’t eat it. The later being a major benefit IMO.
Don’t over think the feeder design or size. Almost any type field wire, cattle panels or even water tote frame works. It might take deer a while to hit it hard especially with good range conditions after these recent rains. Sprinkle some corn on top to encourage them at first.
If cattle are present you have to have a feeder pen. They absolutely will go crazy if they ever get access to it.

EDIT: Most people stop feeding CS when bucks shed their velvet and are able to breed. It “supposedly” caused bucks to go sterile while consuming it. I think most studies showing this to happen are in high fence low natural habitat conditions but better safe than sorry I guess.

[Deadeye Mex]

IMO its just a little something extra to help out year round. But especially the bucks in post rut and the does while they are nursing.

The rolled wire and T-post method works great. If you use the Redbrand Vmesh Horsewire, the deer can still eat all they want, but you get a lot less spillage onto the ground because of the design of the wire. A 6' piece of 50" wire rolled into a cylinder will hold about 250#s of CS.

Hogs and javis will eat it once or twice and learn that it makes them throw up, so they usually leave it alone. Cattle love it and will destroy your basket if they get to it.

If you buy it bulk, it will be a little labor intensive until you develop plan. Hope this helps.

[Jaredlee264]

Do it!!! It will take a while to get them on it, but once they figure it out they will hammer it hard. We use plastic truck bed liners with a slope to drain the rain water right off. You will get more mass and sticker points. I have seen people use 4’ foot fence on a circle, but you get a lot of cotton seed around the station on the floor and the deer step on it.

If you can post a picture of that set up that would be great. I have an old plastic bed liner that I can use.


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