I've got my little feeder pen setup, about 40' across with an automatic corn feeder that goes off twice a day.

I've been thinking about adding a supplemental/protein feeder, but what's the best feed to put in it to grow the fawns up with plenty of nutrition?

Also, it won't be going up until after the season, but just looking ahead to the bigger setup that I plan on building this summer with about 100x100 feeder pen

To see a big change you need to feed alot. You need to see what kind of deer count you have to get the right amount of feeder most use free choice feeder around the 2000# range. Anything smaller they eat up fast and does no good. How much land do you have will also determine how many feeders you need as well.

I've got two different pieces of land.

The one that I hunt the most is 220 acres, bordered by pasture land on 3 sides and the last side is bordered by around 500 acres of thick woods and brush, similar to the 220acres.

Nothing in the area is hunted, except by me. The 500 acres that belong to the neighbor are not hunted.

Cows on the property, so the pens are necessary.

The other pieces is 450acre, bordered on 2 sides with pasture, and the other two sides are bordered with around 2-3k acres of dense woods.

I don't have a feeder running on this property. I'm putting one up there for next season.

If you have lots of deer you better have lots of money too, because it won't be cheap!

Just to give you an idea on cost I was putting out 10,000 a month this year 400$ a ton for ten months. Your place I would start with 2000 pounds and see how fast they eat it and go from there. If you can find it I would use www.lindnerfeed.com best I have used.

I have tried a suplimental feeder on the lease in Callahan County for 2 years now. The one I have there holds 400lbs of protein or 500lbs of corn. The deer on that place have never become acustome to it though. I have filled it 3x in 2 years. the alst time I filled it was in September and they have ate about 100lbs since then. Prioer to that it went from January to September without usage even in this drought year. feeder that drops it on the ground they eat it up, Guess most of my deer are not smart enough to figure it out

A lot of times you have to check your tubes if the get moisture in the the feed will clog or the feed will sour at the ends and the deer will not eat it just check it every time you go out. Also check for aunts in the tubes.

What kind of feed can I put in there for them?

I went to Atwoods yesterday and there are several different kinds of feed with protein/fat mixes.

I just don't know which would be better. Would they eat cattle cubes? That'd be great, because we buy those buy the truckload.

Or do they need something else that's better, do they need something mixed into their water?



I'm not trying to feed the entire deer population 10,000 dollars a year. I'm wanting to have a feeder pen set up on each property that would be a sanctuary of food and water that there would be little to no competition on.

I am also in Callahan County and have several 750 and 900 lb protein self feeders. All are fenced with cut-outs because of the cattle. The deer hit the feeders hard throughout the summer but slacked off after the rains brought on a "spring flush". Try a corn feeder in the pen to attract the deer to the area.

sounds like you have a lot of "low hunting pressure" area to hunt. you could probably do just as much or more by watching your deer density and good selective harvest than you could with protein feed. it can work, but like said above you have to feed a deer a lot of protein for it to really have any significant effect. the major factor on antler development is age. food counts of course too, but even in a dry year a good mature buck will still throw good antlers.

do you do any deer density studies? how many deer do you see? if you are seeing lots of deer and or lots of does. you'd have better luck beating back the deer density and leting your better antler characteristics just get older.

Hunting pressure here is light but the deer numbers are also light. I have taken a different approach to herd management. I am focusing on building a healthy doe and fawn herd. We are a long way from having to worry about taking out does for thinning purposes. If my does get the nutrition they need, they will emerge from the winter in good condition to raise a healthy fawn. I can do nothing about the genetics of my herd other then assist them nutritionally in meeting their potential but I can give them a hand in making it through a tough winter. The condition of my herd after the Summer of Hell is anecdotal evidence that I am on the right track. Only time will tell how effective my management plans are. As far as the horn hunting, my hunters have had a version of AR in place for a good while.

Have poured corn out on the ground around it in the barb wire pen ( there because of cattle) many times deer clean it up. Every time I go buy it I rake a couple pounds of it on the ground and they will clean it up from the ground and rarely ever eat from the feeder itself. Except for a couple deer did finally figure it out last year, not sure where those deer are this year. think I will jsut convert it top one that will spin it out get rid of the tube

Forgot to mention that the first load when I place a new feeder is a corn/protein mix.