Alfalfa Cubes or other Protein advice needed please

Will be protein feeding this year ( for the first time ) and was wondering if anyone had used these with any success.

#1 horse quality alfalfa cubes 17% protein no additives
or
All purpose 15% cubes (40%alfalfa 60% orchard/timothy)

ALSO .... is there a good protein to use in a metal free choice feeder that is more resistant to moisture to prevent clogging? This will be about 8 miles east of Big Lake.

Planning on using 2 55 gallon drums per hunter ( 500 pounds protein total? ) with either purchased metal feeding tubes or possibly homemade feeding tubes out of PVC. I'd appreciate opinions on this too. We don't have the funds for new 2000 pound feeders so we're trying to use our money for more protein and save some on the equipment.

i was thinking of kinda the same thing. hope we get some good advice

Most people are gonna say horse feed is for horses, deer feed is for deer.

Antlermax makes a feed with watershield, it's a little more resistant to water.

Whatever you end up doing, do it quick. Protein feeding should start in early January.

This is a new lease, we aren't officially "on it" until next week. They put out 95000 pounds last year on 9000 acres ( don't know if that's alot or not lol ). Each hunter has 450 acres to hunt. I'm thinking 300 -400 pounds of protein a month for each spot? There are 20 spots so it averages out ( 95,000 pounds in a year )to almost 500 pounds per spot per month.

Lease manager did say that they only lost 15 - 20% of their deer herd due to the drought while some surrounding areas lost 30 -50% ? He attributes this to the protein feeding.

We just filled our spin feeders last weekend with alfalfa pellets (17%). I would have rather used the regular protein pellets, but the local feedstore was out. Won't know if they'll eat it or not until next weekend when we check the cams.

Hunting Texas where at 8 miles East of Big Lake? Off of 67? I just got on a new lease this year that is 6-7 miles East of Big Lake. Maybe we will run into each other during season down there?

Nightbird, we are off of CR 147 (Ferguson Rd. ). I'll send you a pm with my name and info.

fowlplayer..... I'll be interested to know how it works. I'd much rather throw protein if at all possible.

Yes I am off Ferguson road as well

I have tryed the alfalfa cubes before but the whitetail would not touch it, and the mule deer would eat it ever so often. Never did have good succes with it..I have had great resluts out of the AntlerMax20 Protein, the water resistant antler max is hard to find most dont carry it here in texas most of your northern states use it more. We feed it year round in free choice feeders and go through about 600lbs per/month per feeder. Need water resource some what close by feeding protein

Thanks for the info Branden
Nightbird ... pm sent.

ttt

Yep!!!

Technically....the pellets are rabbit food.

Coons clean up mine before the rabbits get a chance.

Figure 1.5 to 2 # of protein per deer per day. Now you do not yet know how many deer will hit your feeder(s), but once they do and you start getting pics you can start to judge how long your feed lasts.
Also while a 55 gallon barrel will hold 300# corn it eill hold less pellets. Closer to 250#.

On my lil place July through August they will eat 250# in two weeks, every two weeks. They stack it on to finsh out antler growth and bulk up for the rut, which can start as early as Sept. There.

Oh, and I prefer the green bag record rack stuff, TSC and my local feed store carry it for $12-$14/bag.

I have used it on 3 places that had never been fed pellets and the find it within a few days.