V-mesh wire fence

[peterp63]

Wanting to build some cotton seed feeders but can’t find the V-mesh anywhere!

Any suggestions?

[SaltwaterSlick]

2" X 3" welded wire works just as good and is much cheaper. That's what some of our guys used.

[peterp63]

Thanks. I read that it doesn’t hold quite like the V-mesh, but will grab some if I don’t find any before long.

[az2tx]

Use it and if needed wrap the top with some cheap chicken wire so the cottonseed won't fall out

[Kenner97]

We used the 2x3 or 2x4 rectangular wire and it works good. If any falls out the deer eat it right off the ground. No problems.

[Smart]

V-mesh wire fence

That 2x4 holds it just fine. Plus it’s easier for them to get too. Hell it doesn’t matter, they will find it on the ground and eat it all anyway. Buy whatever is cheapest. I wouldn’t spend extra on V-Mesh myself. My 6”x6” “mesh”water tote frames work great and as you can see not a seed was wasted.


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Before and after .. note I have since removed the floor like above on the below feeder. They can move it around easier to get it all.

[peterp63]

Thanks y’all. We went with 2”x4” welded wire fencing... 50” tall. ~36” diameter. Seems to hold it okay.

This was 1,000 lb. didn’t quite fill two feeders.

[deerwatcher51]

Looking good.

[RascalArms]

Thanks y’all. We went with 2”x4” welded wire fencing... 50” tall. ~36” diameter. Seems to hold it okay.

This was 1,000 lb. didn’t quite fill two feeders.

That’ll work...like stated, almost anything freaking works to hold CS in. That looks like a new set up though. Did you happen to sprinkle some corn around the edges to help get them started on it? It takes them awhile to adjust to it if being introduced to it for the first time.

[peterp63]

That’ll work...like stated, almost anything freaking works to hold CS in. That looks like a new set up though. Did you happen to sprinkle some corn around the edges to help get them started on it? It takes them awhile to adjust to it if being introduced to it for the first time.

Yep it’s a brand new station. But, we do have other stations nearby already feeding CS. And, yes, we did sprinkle corn all around the edges and near the feeders to get it kickstarted.

Thanks!

[Smart]

V-mesh wire fence

Thanks y’all. We went with 2”x4” welded wire fencing... 50” tall. ~36” diameter. Seems to hold it okay.

This was 1,000 lb. didn’t quite fill two feeders.

Holding okay? That is holding it great. Vmesh will have similar on the ground as well. I remember when I first started with cottonseed worrying about it all not being “in the feeder”. Now I could just as easily just put it in a pile in the pen and let them have at it. They will find every seed ... even stomped in the mud.

Looking good!

[Smart]

This was my last fill of 1500 lbs in the tote above. Could not find a seed/kernel on the ground 1.5 months later.[emoji51][emoji41]

[axisbuck]

Smart I might steal that idea I found the smaller frame cage 4X4 275gal tote here in town for cheap. I think It will take 1000lb to fill. Or should I start slow may be half full not sure how our deer will take to it since no one else feeds it on my lease.

[SaltwaterSlick]

One thing to consider when making feeders for this stuff is that whatever the surface area is on the top of it, it will get a crusty layer on it and protect the rest of the cottonseed below it somewhat. If it is a new installation, it will take the deer a while to get used to it and begin to eat it. For this reason, if you make a taller smaller diameter feeder, less of the cottonseed will be sacrificed to creating that protective layer as opposed to a wide large diameter installation. When we started back in '18 on our new place, it took the deer probably 4-5 months to really start to eat it good.

[Smart]

Smart I might steal that idea I found the smaller frame cage 4X4 275gal tote here in town for cheap. I think It will take 1000lb to fill. Or should I start slow may be half full not sure how our deer will take to it since no one else feeds it on my lease.

Mine are 275gal as well. The picture below was 1200lbs so they will certainly hold 1,000. I have a 6.5' bed and a 1.5" truck box and 1200 lbs is what I could get to the bases of the bed caps in what space was left in my F350. The 1500lb fill above was me taking a chance with a tarp and corn bags as weight to keep it all in the bed for my 30 minute trip from the gin to the lease. If you are concerned with them taking to it, start out small, and throw some corn right around the base and shove some handfuls in the side pockets of the pile. That's what was recommended to me and it worked. Don't pour it on top as the coons will climb up and dig out cotton seed until they get that last kernel......or so I am told.. ....also remove the base floor like I suggested above. They can move it around easily like the mesh without the floor. Took me a fill to change that. The fill with the floor was my first one and they wiped it out but couldn't get to the very middle...prob had 30-40 lbs I had to push to the side. That was gone by the end of the weekend and I took the pic in the earlier post where it is spotless before we refilled....