What is the best way to put together a cotton seed feeder?

I have seen different options but what works best...
Looking at the wiring arround the t post option, how big of a circle and how tall to you make the fencing?

And how much cotton seed would I need to fill it roughly?
Thanks!

The thing with cotton seed is that it is hard to handle. Its like hauling around a load of dirt. If you can shovel it out of a pickup its not too bad.

Guess we will have to experiment when I head down there. Dont know if the old ram can carry a ton of it back home though.

The tpost and hog panelling or 2x2 or 2x4 wire work the best. If you have hogs use the hog panel and jus get it cut to size. I made my first one last weekend and will be making my 2nd one Sunday. They are real easy to build and dont need any maintenance. About 5-6 feet tall and around 2 feet wide. I bought 1150 pounds for like $160 and each feeder holds around 250-350 lbs completely full. I used 100 lb burlap feed sacks and they worked awesome. You can do that or just load it up in your truck if you are going to use it all right away or if you have a dry place to store it away from cattle/deer. Do not use the regular 50 lb sacks, as you will be wasting your time. In each 100 lb sack I would say you can hold 60-70 lbs of cottonseed. If you have anymore questions PM me. I was always told and saw my hunting buddies bins and they use 2x4 wire but i am thinking about using 2x2 wire to prevent wasting it and alot of it falling on the ground.

Thanks for the help. Im going to try and put one together in the next couple weeks.

I just wrap the bales in goat wire and drive a t post threw the center

bales? cottonseed is not in bales, at least all the kinds I have seen. But I think they do make it. I built my today, 5 foot tall with 1 t post and loaded it all way with cottonseed and have it next to protein(record rack) feeder with a camera over it. will check again in 2-3 weeks

I use v-mesh horse wire. It is 52 inches tall. Cut a length of six feet. Roll in a circle and tie it together. Then drop it over a t-post. Fill with cottonseed.

Here is a picture of what it should look like.



I also add a hog panel to the bottom section. The hogs were bending the crap out of them before.

yes that is exactly what mine looks like, I will post pics with deer activity when I go check camera.

FYI, they are trying to outlaw the feeding of cotton seed for deer due to weevils, I have not confirmed this but it was brought up at a very large feed company I do business with.

Hmm. Interesting. Guess I will need to build a really big feeder to last a long time then. JK. That will make things tough if they do outlaw it.

I have questions.
1. Is this primarily a summer feed or year round?
2. Is this for the deer or all critters?
3. What amount of success has anyone had with these?
4. Is this for mainly dry climates or could/would it work in Kansas hunting?
5. How do you keep the cows off of it?
6. mulie_mike do the aoudads like it?
Thanks in advance.

1. I just started this year and put it out end of april and will feed until september.
2. coons/hogs do not eat it, but cows love it
3. I just started so I cannot tell you, it looks like they have barely eaten any, but my neighbors swear by it and have seen their trail cam pics of deer slamming it
4. I would guess anywhere bc deer/mulies love it
5. Put up a feeder pen is my only guess bc cows love it and it will get expensive if u feed cows also

Heard alot of crap about sterility in bucks but from reading, feeding it as a supplement to wild animals will not affect them.

Thanks for the reply.

Dont know about aoudads they are too high up to get a feeder near them. I am trying cottons seed because the mulies dont hit corn worth a darn or alfalfa out in these parts.

I laid a bag out last year just on the ground and it was hit within the first week. I am feeding it year round to get them in the routine and hopefully get a decent buck with a bow this year.

Where can you buy cotton seed?

Thanks Mike, the aoudad on our place destroy standard corn feeders. Now we winch them up into big elm trees with chain hoist. They fold the legs up and topple the barrel. We cant feed protein for our deer because the aoudad will eat you into the poor house. Thought if the deer like cottonseed and the aoudad did not we might have a winner.

I have a friend who feeds cotton seed in RockSprings and has a bunch of aoudad also. Seems that those sheep dont hit it as hard as they would corn but they still hit it.

Works good in New Mexico for sheep, and the deer like it to, I think they used 8ft 2" pipe and cyclone fence.

I buy it at an old run down mill in moulton....MG in weimar also sells it...not in ur area but thats the only two places I know. $16.50 a hundred in bulk in Moulton.

Thanks cc,

Is it seasonal? I called a cotton gin in west Texas trying to buy some in Sept. and the lady said "We sell it but it ain't ginnen' season".

I hunted the A&M Deer Research facility in Sanora several years ago and they primarily feed with fuzzy cotton seeds. They said that the hogs there don't mess with the cotton seed because it is hard on their digestive system. Deer love it though.

If I could buy some up here in the DFW area for my lease I sure would.

I know as a kid we used to buy cotton seed pellets to put in a ventilated PVC on the dock to draw in bait fish. I don't know if the deer will eat it as well.

yes it is seasonal. Most places I called in late feb did not have any. They should be getting some now or soon. Hogs wont eat it from what I hear. I will post pics after I check camera next weekend but they hadnt really touched it yet as of last weekend. Slowly starting to see more deer around, they were hiding I swear. Hardly saw any deer in March/April. And we have really high deer numbers.

well my neighbor told me the big group of hogs made their way to his place, ate all his cottonseed and spit it out on the ground. I have mine in an area wo hogs, I will post pics this sun or mon when i check my camera.

Hello Mike
Where do you get the cotton seeds here around El Paso, I couldn't find any place.

Thanks

I drive out to Tornillo and get it from Valley Gin.
They sell it by the ton in bulk normally.
PM me and I can get you in touch with the right person, they bag it for me in 100lb sacks since I am a regular. I may be able to help you out.