Protein question

I am wanting to get started on protein on our lease. Just some info on it, we have 16,000 acres in West TX with a steady deer population, but not over populated. Deer ratios are good with slightly over 1-1. I am not planning on feeding the entire ranch, just possibly two to three stations in the area I primarily hunt. I did set up a feeder this year that was self feed with corn and was feeding around 50 lbs a day so I understand that there will be a lot of feed/money involved in this and it is not just a one year thing, yet it is a long term investment.
My question is, is there any place to get protein in bulk in West TX that is good, but at a good price? Like I said, I understand it is a costly thing. I am not trying to get it for free and cut corners. I am however wanting to do it as economical as possible. There has to be a cheaper way than bagged protein from my local feed store. There is no way high fences can afford to pay what I have been given as a price to feed free choice hundreds of deer.

The only bulk feed I have looked into is LE and if I remember right it cost more than sacked feed from other producers, but I could be off on that.

Don't underestimate how much some of those ranches may spend. I know of some that spend well into 7 figures on feed.

I know all we see on here are comments about free feeding protein, but I have a buddy that spin feeds it into troughs with extremely good success. He wants to help the herd, but is also trying to draw deer to his property. From what I've seen, it's serving him very well and isn't breaking the bank.

In West TX the city or geographical area of Texas.

Ours comes from Winters Texas feed mill.

Here is a list of supply houses that normally carry feed.

http://www.westtexasfeedersupply.com/map-of-dealers.htm

Oh, I know they spend astronomical on feed bills, but they are also feeding multiple feeders and herds of deer that are getting their primary source from protein. I am planning on having as much as a 8-10,000 on feed bills with just my small project.
I have also thought of control feeding with spin cast into troughs with a good abount of feed spun. I could then patern deer and such. Does anyone have any experience with doing this? Is there any disadvantages? WIll it be a waste of time and money with less free choice?
The city will be around Snyder, or north of. Driving is not a big issue if I can get in bulk at a decent price.

In my opinion you will be doing it for attraction, which is fine, I just wouldn't expect it to do a lot for antler growth etc. Should also improve health in the local herd.

I am wanting more than just attraction. I have no issues with seeing numbers of deer, and around 140-150" range common. I am just wanting to get the quality over that hump. I have also seen deer up to the 190" range there. So I know the genetics are on the property to be worth time and money spent. We do still have a lot of management of the herd to work on, but only time will fix this issue.

IMO, If you want to use it for more than attraction feeding it free choice is best.

The point is to allow them to access the feed source 24/7 so they will eat as much as they want any time they want it, anything less is just attractant and won't do as much for the health/antlers.
Of course feeding some is better than none.
But if your goal is to provide enough to grow antlers, free choice.

If you know how many deer are utilizing each feeder and if you can dispense enough feed to allow them to eat their fill every day a timed feeder might work out.
When range conditions are good they may slow or stop coming to the feeder, a timed feeder will still drop feed attracting undesirable species or end up as waste from wind / rain / humidity.
A free choice just sits there waiting for them to return.


If there are livestock, pigs, javelina on the proerty feed pens aren't optional, bigger is better.

I think I may have misunderstood one of your posts. Did you mean your considering feeding 8-10k dollars worth of feed? or 8-10K lbs of feed a year?

jphillips, I did this very thing this past year on a 4800 acre lease. Let me relate a couple of things I found.

First, once deer find out there's protien, they will go nuts for it. And I swear that they tell every deer in the county! Normally I would have about 15-18 deer regularly coming to my two corn feeders, with occaisional "pass through" visitors.

Within a few weeks of protien I had more than 30 deer hitting that feeder (and those new deer never showed on cam at the corn).

They would empty 300 pounds of free-choice protien in 2-3 days. I mean empty! I had deer standing on thier hind legs kicking over the feeder!

I went to a 800lb Lamco timed trough feeder. I throw 5-8 pounds in the morning and again in the evening. The deer figured that feeder out within a week and would literally be lined up waiting for the protien to drop. Usually bucks first, with does batting cleanup. They would eat every pellet within 30 minutes and stand there waiting for more, even licking the trough. It was funny somtimes.

Once, when I was filling/testing the feeder, I had a two deer literally coming running right up within 30 feet of me staring at me, waiting for me to get out of the way. As soon I got in the Jeep they started gobbling before I even closed the door.

I know I am not feeding enough to make much of a difference in antlers, but I DEFINITELY am drawing deer from all over the lease and neighboring properties.

Funny you said this John. When I was testing with free choice corn, I had the same thing with the deer waiting for me to get out of the way. Three different times there was a crazy 3 yr old ten point that will go about 130" and another old 8 that were less than 15 yards from us pushing and then backing up the whole time we were filling feeders. I finally told my dad that he had better get back in the truck before he came on in and gored him to get the corn. I have never seen deer act like this. If it was one time, I could say hey that was just a chance thing. But three times has to be either a special kind of special deer, or they are just really hungry....

He meant dollars. jphilips, we buy our protein in bulk from Lyssey & Eckel and it's right around $400/ton delivered. A full load is 23 tons. Do you have bulk, overhead storage? If not you're looking at about $9k for a 14 ton silo. How you gonna fill feeders from bulk stg? Do you have a blower wagon? $13.5k for a 3.5 tonner. Free choice is the best way to feed but the most expensive. The gentleman who mentioned his friend feeding it out of troughs with a spinner is right, one can enjoy success. However, if it rains or the deer aren't hitting the troughs hard, that protein will cake up, attracts weevils and be a stinkin' mess to clean out. Those feeders are labor-intensive and someone has to check those troughs every couple days. Even with rainbirds installed to shut off feeding when it rained, I still had lots of problems with those type feeders. I use 1 ton free-choice these days.

Those deer are starving, the habitat is in terrible shape or both. We feed 1,800 acres that is high-fenced in Webb Co.. When it rains and greens up the deer won't touch the protein until all the green is gone. Same thing for when there's a good crop of mesquite beans. Deer much prefer and need those nutritious new-growth forbs and legumes to reach their maximum potential. Protein is for the tough times. That's why it is called supplemental feed. We had a ton of rain in Webb County the second half of 2013 and continuing into 14. Last load of protein we bought was 14 tons. The deer only ate 6.5 tons of it. We had to throw the rest away, as all the other ranches around us had the same problem. Protein is not a complete ration and deer will not utilize it in that manner unless there is nothing natural to eat. If they are eating it in that manner, you better be feeding some alfalfa too or your deer will founder.

I am building some 3,000 lb split compartment protien/ 500 lb spin cast corn feeders. I only want 1 station for both corn and protein is the idea behind all this. I am also building a 4 ton trailer with blower for delivery. On storage, I have none, but can store in bulk bags in dry container if I have excess from filling from trailer. Great info guys. Keep them coming. Any past experiences and advice is greatly accepted....

Very interested in your split compartment idea. Thoughts on costs for one?

I can understand your perception, but I assure you the property is in good shape. They just like the protien. We have lots of deer, good fawn crop, good ratios, and fat, healthy, deer. If they were starving, they would eat the corn in the same manner.

We have good number of quail, predators, and other wildlife too! Maybe the deer coming from distance on other properties - but I can garantee the deer have LOTS to eat, both natural and supplemental. And you should have seen the acorn crop this year! And mesquite beans.

I'm telling you, they just like the protien.

B-Man, on the cost, I will get back with you on that. Should not be all that high since I am doing all the construction myself. I will only be out cost and my own time. I just now have my final idea on design of the feeders. I am going to get my material this week. Should take two or so days to complete build and a couple more to finish prime and paint, depending on if I am painting or lineing the inside. Should be some good ones though if my plans all work out....

Son, yer handier than a pocket on a shirt! I like your feeder idea, too. We have one-ton corn and protein in each pen. One unit would be much better.

That's great! Makes it easy to attract and not cost you an arm and a leg. I've never seen deer behave like that who weren't malnourished, and I've been doing this a long time. That's what I love about this sport, learn something new every day. Thanks!

You threw away 7 tons of feed? Was Craisglist/Ranch Magazine/etc. not an option? I'd have come to get it from you.

Yessir. Only stays good for about four-five months in the silo in that heat down there before it starts to dry out and crumble. All the other ranches around us were throwing theirs out, feeding cattle, horses and everything else. We only have a dozen qtr horses and no cattle on the ranch and we needed the hopper space for corn. Wish I had thought of THF. I typically only pass thru here during hunting season. On TFF most of the other time. Please don't hate me

John H, are those whitetail you bred and under high fence? Wild deer coming to a food source like that is crazy. I've got two free choice and they are lightly used. I've tried several blends and I can't get them to eat it outside of June, July, and August. They tend to only eat it when they need it. The deer in my area prefer the natural browse, acorns by far. I immediately guessed poor range conditions, but you may just have some crazy deer.

We order ours in bulk 4 tons at a time. We have 8, 1000 lb feeders and have a ranch hand fill them for us about every 6 weeks. Antlers have come up a little but body size and weights have been the biggest benefit.

Here is one that we had watched for the last 3 years. He weighed a little over 200 lbs which is huge for West Crockett county.







I too would be interested in these. We have spin cast and protein feeders in the same pen now. The space saving would make the deer a little more comfortable by not feeling so closed in.

I wish we could get four tons delivered, Mark. Woulda saved a buncha $$$. Our minimum is 8 tons in bulk.

We have silos that will hold a full truck but we ran into the same issues of the pellets breaking down due to heat and lack of humidity. Luckily it wasn't to costly as the silos had been there for years but 10k of protien powder is just nasty to try to move. Specially after it got wet.

If anyone is interested in one after I get them built let me know. I am sure we can come up with a reasonable deal. Mabe even a trade somehow. I will get one built first and get some pics on as well before anyone sets their minds on it. PM me if you are interested....

Would love to see some pictures!

I will get some on as soon as I get them built. Im not out to make a lot of $ on this so will not plan on building a lot of them. But while I am building my own it will not be that big a deal to make a few more....

Id just really like to see how you build them. Interesting seeing all the different designs, what works, what doesn't and new ideas to try.

Somebody help me out here, I've got to be doing something wrong. I made a free choice feeder from an old funnel I had, filled it with some protein from Tractor Supply, and in a year, the deer never ate it. Each time I went out, I cleaned the old stuff off the plate, made sure the new stuff was fresh, and still nothing. Finally I dumped a bag of corn over top of the protein, cleaned the funnel until the corn filtered down and mixed with the protein. The deer ate as long as the corn was present, then completely vacated the rest. I ended up dumping what was left of the protein and went straight corn at the start of the season.

What kind of protein can I buy in bags that the deer will eat?

Eastland county/Stephens county line, if it makes a difference.

Some deer need to be trained into protein. The 50/50 mix is a good start. Time of year makes a difference also, early spring best bet. I have also used Horse sweet feed in the 50/50 mix.

Rack Daddy from Tractor supply or a local feed store will be able to get a formula from their local mill.

John if deer are coming to your protein, when there are natural high protein foods around, I'm going to guess that the natural feed is short of an essential mineral provided in your protein mix.

Thanks man, I guess I'll try something else. I've got game cam pics of the deer eating out of it when the corn was mixed in, so I know they know it was feed. If my cam had video with sound, I'm sure I would have seen them eating the corn and spitting out the protein, not unlike the spitoon scene in Blazing Saddles.