How much feed?

Shakky · Post by **Shakky** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:10 am

I was just wondering how much feed you guys are going through? Last year the deer would eat around 30 pounds of feed every two weeks. When I put my feeder out this year they ate 30 pounds of feed in 4 days. So I put another feeder out and they ate 60 pounds of feed in one week. Is this a lot of feed to go though in one week or more the norm? The farmer changed from corn to soy bean this year on my north side but other then that nothing has changed on the farm. Could I have picked up that many more deer from last year? Any ideas?

A.W · Post by **A.W** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:13 am

Sounds like you have picked up more deer. Put up a neon "Diner" sign. They may bring their friends.

DyHard · Post by **DyHard** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:58 am

Shakky, what are you feeding them?
It seems our feeders aren't getting hit very hard yet at all.
We use corn, bean, oats and malasis.

Thanks in advance
DyHard

Shakky · Post by **Shakky** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:02 pm

I'm using the same as you are. They call it a sweet horse feed.

DyHard · Post by **DyHard** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:05 pm

We don't buy pre-mixed and may have our mix ratios messed. My buddies brother owns a few feed mills and we get the broken bags.
I'll have a look for the sweet horse feed to determin ratios.
Thanks Shakky

DyHard

Sliver · Post by **Sliver** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 12:41 pm

Shakky · Post by **Shakky** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 7:26 pm

Come on guys I'm sure a lot of you have feeders on the go. How much feed do you go through in a week?

GaryL · Post by **GaryL** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 8:02 pm

Shakky I only have 3 home made feeders up at this time, each one holds around 22LBS and I have been using 100lbs a week as of Aug.

My son gets it fer 25.00US for 500LBS we bag it. CORN ONLY.....

That sweet horse feed don't seem to work for me and is around 12.00US a 50lb bag....

GREY OWL · Post by **GREY OWL** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 9:32 pm

Shakky wrote:Come on guys I'm sure a lot of you have feeders on the go. How much feed do you go through in a week?

Anywhere from 5 gals to a grain bin. What ever I put out they eat. Legally I can only put out 5 gals per site. I'm not there to fatten them up, just there to make friends.

Grey Owl

kendo kid · Post by **kendo kid** » Sat Sep 17, 2005 10:24 pm

Shakky,
The consumption of feed by type should correspond with the time of year (stage of development) of the deer. During the summer, including August, does and fawns need high protein and high oil mixes in the feed to produce muscle and bone. In the East most of us are short in phosphorus as a natural occuring mineral so a supplement is really important to provide the phosphorus (P alwalys accompanies Ca) and Calcium for bone devleopment (antler develpoment in bucks). Once the cold weather starts to set in and the tender shoots (high in protein) are disappearing and the soybeans have been harvested, the deer beging to turn to carbohydrates to fatten up. One of the issues with the molasses is the higher sugar content acts as an attractant but it has a negative side effect. Higher sugar levels speed up the metobolic rate and can actually, during cold weather, cause higher levels of heat loss and thus burn stored fat faster. I would question using the sweet treats particularly once November rolls around. Hopefully, by then the freezer is full anyway. Dry soyeans have a good oil level 20 % at 14 % moisture and are a good energy source for deer. Raw soybeans also have an S 3 protein that needs to be degenerated to an S 2 protein to make it digestable. Ruminators have that ability to convert the S3 protein into a usable protein where something like a chicken must eat roasted soys or soy meal that has gone through a heating process to degenerate the S 3 protein to an S 2 digestible protein. I will not go into more detail and bore everyone about the S 3 protein. However, good soybeans are for deer in the Fall they like corn better.

Shakky · Post by **Shakky** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 9:46 am

Thanks guys.

johnjyb · Post by **johnjyb** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 10:13 am

My hunting partner picked up a rotary feeder from Cabelas while down at a race earlier this year, and we've had it out for 3 weeks now. We set it for 3-6 second feedings in the morning and 3-6 second feedings in the evening, all with a 1/2 hour delay between activations. The whole corn looks like it is getting hit pretty good, and I think we are going through about 60-80 lbs a week right now.
John

Ga.XbowCop · Post by **Ga.XbowCop** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 11:36 pm

Shakky I have put out 100lbs. almost a month ago. There is alot of greenery here and it is not been eaten as fast as last year. Last year I was putting out 200lbs every 3 days for about a 3 months before the season opened. This is nothing but corn and whole kernel at that. We had a 12 pointer killed on opening weekend that I was hunting in bow season. It was killed by an 11yr old boy. The deer was aged at 3 and a half and weight was 235 live weight. Also standing corn that is grown is great when you cut strips every 20 yards apart. Good luck.

A.W · Post by **A.W** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:39 am

I just made my first two gravity feeders and put them up on Saturday while Digger was up at the property for a day visit.

I used the same feed as Shakky who was kind enough to pick some up for me. Lots of sign in the area.

Shakky · Post by **Shakky** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 10:23 am

Thanks for the info. guys I think I may try whole corn in one of my feeders and see what the deer prefer. I would think the whole corn would be cheaper then the sweet feeder.