Reading thru the thread on cottonseed, and wanting to start it for our place, I'm wondering if anyone knows where I'd find some in the Kaufman or Freestone county area? Anywhere semi-close by or in between would suffice as well. Just called the biggest feed store close to the property and was told they carry it during deer season but not now. Now seems to be when it would be most beneficial.

Would prefer it to be bagged since we have no way to store or transport bulk seed.


Thanks

Tractor supply has it bagged in central Texas. Not sure about up there

I would not have thought to check with them, but it appears they have it locally.

Thanks

The Tractor Supply in Lucas TX (NE side of Dallas) has Barrett & Speer cottonseed (this is where I get it)..

I just checked the TS in Kaufman.. it looks like they carry it as well and have it in stock.. $16.99 a bag....

So expensive in bags more than double ur price. Even if u can pile it on the ground and put panels around it saves a ton.

This what we do. Buy a tote sack, cut it open and snow shovel in into the feed pen from the bed of the truck.

This year will be a test for us, going to start with one feeder in our protein pen.I am curious to see if it will take any pressure off the protein, or what the results will be. If they take to it like I hope they will we'll figure out a more reasonable strategy moving forward.

The first step is to get some tangible data from the field. The next step will be everyone else acknowledging any positive results and getting on board with integrating it into our program. Right now we just don't have anywhere to store it in bulk so bags it is until the rest can be sorted out. Hunting with family is great in some ways, and tougher in others. In my situation I am the one who hatches these ideas for our place, like feeding protein, and am on my own until the rest see the results and get on board.

Atwood’s has it and rice bran. Most of my deer just looked at it. Maybe I did it at wrong time of year. I just poured it on the ground and mostly the coyotes peed on it.

I have seen at Capp's in Fairfield, just not sure if they carry it year around.

Capps told me they'd have it again in the fall. Tractor Supply has it in stock though.

Tractor supply 40 lb. bag $16. I think.

Just an FYI

I feed cotton seed in the off season inside my corn feeders. It always takes a while for them to start eating it. But once they do they go through it quick. One thing to note is there are mixed reports on whether it makes the buck sterile. It has a lot to do with range conditions and how much of their overall diet consist of the cotton seed because of a chemical called gossypol. It's reported that if they do become sterile it will go away once the cotton seed is removed from their diet. I always stop feeding the cotton seed about a month before the season starts and have not noticed any difference in annual fawn production.

Got the feeder setup weekend before last. Looking forward to heading down there this weekend and see if they're taking to it. I put it in the pen with our protein feeders, so they'll have at least have to walk around it.

As for the sterility aspect, my understanding is that is a somewhat overblown subject, but we'll stop it around labor day anyway. That's when we do our last protein fill of the year.

Sterility topic is overblown from my deer experience. I don't raise cattle so I'm not going into that discussion. I've been feeding CS on two ranches in the hill country and typically I start in about January1st until I run out of 25 tons or so(usually in November). It strictly a dollar thing for me. I'm trying to save a few bucks. The CS is high on fat content and protein and starts to help bring the bucks back from the rut. They gorge for about the first week then settle down. Towards the end of January I load all the protein feeders by doing this the impact on the protein does not seem to be quite as bad as it has been in past years. Last year I fed protein through the winter , this year I'm letting it run out and switching to corn next month. Kind of a self test to see how much of an antler impact it might have....... Anyway pyscho if starting your deer on plain cottonseed buy some imitation vanilla for smell and flavor to help get your deer started on the CS. They will take to it faster. if your buying the brand that is already scented there is no need to add anything to it , the deer will come. But beware the hogs will come also unless you have a pen situation.

I put the CS feeder in our protein pen, and so far am not seeing any positive results. They are hammering the protein, but not touching the cottonseed. I sprayed it with vanilla extract a few weeks back with no positive effect, and two weeks ago I dumped a half bag of corn over it to see if I can get them to acknowledge it's even there.

But yes, the pen is fenced with hog panels so they aren't an issue. Guess I'll see this weekend if the corn might have helped.

We fed 40+ tons/ year for 15 years, year-round, never had any fawn problems, some years bought it as low as $90/ton, fed with a bucket on a John Deere 4440, dumped it straight on the ground, no wire hoops, never had any issues, would come back after and pour some loose mineral on top of each pile, definitely helped the deer, quit feeding pellets and went straight cottonseed, even quit using corn during deer season, worked very well, never had any problems with deer eating it, also fed it for several years in Gaines County for muleys, they loved it too

We bought it straight from the gin, had it delivered to the ranches in semi’s, they piled it under overhang by the barn to keep the rain off

That’s my luck with trying new things

I used to get it from a mill up in Winters. Mummies was expensive. I think I've posted this before. You can put corn in it until the deer get used to it. It does help them based on my experience.

Since I last posted in late August my deer have been killing the CS. They are finished with the protein for the year now. We were blessed with a great acorn crop which is happening now so they backed off the cotton a bit which is great. I'd rather have them on the native green stuff if we get the rain which we did for a change however its turning back dry again. The mature deer are butterball fat getting ready for the rut.

I plan to feed CS through the winter as long as my stock holds out plus the usual corn and add protein in late January.

As I look at how our deer finished out after the combination of protein/cottonseed I am very pleased. I am thinking about the next step in this journey and that's adding alfalfa to their diet. Enough for now.