Looking at buying a 1000 or 600lb mb ranch king protein feeder, one that has the timer and drops only a certain amount of feed. Anybody here using these? If so do you like it? Pros cons?

Haven’t heard much about those, I’ve heard good things from forum members about the lamco feeders.

I have a friend who has 6 or 8 of them in his Ibex pens. He has had them over 1.5 yrs now and no issues with them. They have held up well so far.

Thanks guys

Are you using these timed feeders in breeder pens or for free range deer?

If free range I think you are wasting your money on a timed protein feeder. Your deer will never get enough protein to make a hill of beans difference.
One or two deer will eat everything you can drop. Time dropping protein is accomplishing the same thing as spinning corn when timer feed.
Free choice protein allows all the deer in the area to benefit.

It’s for free range deer...all this makes sense, thanks for the info. I liked the idea of it being timed so I could pattern the deer and not go through as much feed. I think free choice is the way I need to go to help me accomplish what I really want

Timed protein feeders have their place and when used correctly work very well. Just because it has a timer does not mean you have to feed only once per day...use all the settings to spread the feed times out and adjust the run times to match that amount of deer. Feed at night post rut till fall when bucks are more likely to feed and you will mainly feed the bucks. They are more dominant and grouped up...they are the target animal. In theory...if you numbers are at or below carrying capacity on good habitat, then feeding bucks at night will leave access natural feed for the does or younger bucks. I know of several ranches that use them from fall till end of rut to feed also and their deer basically feed free choice. The style and type feeder you buy makes all the difference in the success.

The type and style feeder you use can accomplish that very easily. It just takes the deer learning the feeder and times to feed, once they are raised doing that it will achieve your goal.

Here are examples of two different style timed protein feeders with mature bucks feeding in the daylight on a very large South Texas ranch. One is a tube style feeder that feeds x amount of feed at specified times. It can feed 50 lbs or more at desired times, which are many. The others is a timed trough feeder that is basically free choice when you set the open and close time(s) per day.
Outback Regulated tube trough feeder.


Preifert timed trough feeder.



Ibex feeding at a timed feeder in a breeding pen. MB Ranch King feeder.

Well hell...now I really don’t know what I should get

You asked the question...we replied
The timed feeders will do what you want them to do...it just cost a bit more to buy one to start vs a free choice feeder of the same size. Some of them even have rain sensors to keep from feeding if it is raining.

I have a Lamco Timed Protein trough feeder, works well, the troughs require minor cleaning/brushing out. I do have a rain sensor on it, it does need to be changed every year or so.

The only time I would not recommend it would be if you're an infrequent visitor or you get alot of rain where you hunt. You can have a trough dump, it rains, turns the feed to mush, spoils, deer won't eat it, keeps on dumping and you have a large smelly mess when you show up.

Charlie