still not eating protein??

[keystone]

I bought a 2000 lb. protein feeder from all seasons with the 4 drops,I put purina deer chow in there about 6 weeks ago,and the deer are still not eating out of it.Are they scared of that big feeder or do I need to put something else in there?I scatterded corn all around the feeder but they eat the corn and dont touch the protein-and we have a ton of deer on this place.Thanks for any input.

[tuthdoc]

If they've never eaten protein and they've never eaten out of a tube feeder, then you may need to train them. It's too late to put corn in the tubes, so what I'd do is mix corn and protein and start scattering it around and under the feeder. They'll eat the protein on the ground and start eating it out of the tubes.

[scotty]

When we first started feeding protein, we put a couple of bags of corn in the feeders first. Then we went 50/50 corn-protein then finished filling with 100% Purina. We scattered a couple of bags of corn around the feeder, inside and outside of the pen. It took a couple of weeks, but once they stuck their noses in the tubes, it was on! We can't hardly keep them filled now.

All my protein knowledge came from the above poster.

[Breezy]

it took my deer three different types of protein till they liked one, record rack 20%.

[Luck_of_the_Draw]

Go back and fill the tubes with as much corn as you can. Then scatter a bag around the feeder.

[loyal1865]

Well the simple answer is that the deer are probably not use to the protein since they are use to being fed corn. It seems from the way you say is that you just quit feeding corn and started feeding protein without any transition. It is like you eating yogurt for breakfast for a month and then all of the sudden you switch to frosted flakes, it just isn't the same and it takes you some time to get use to it. This is what has happened to the deer, their pallets have not gotten use to the protein yet.

I just started a protein regiment on a place in Clifton at the first feeding I mixed the feed 60/40 corn/protein and they took to it pretty quickly. You just need to ease the deer into the protein with a mix and slowly ween them off.

[trophy8]

well if it makes you feel any better my feeder hasnt been touched by a single deer in 3 months. i tried corn. protein. and corn and protein mix. and even some omalene 200. all eatin my birds after it laid in a bog ole pile. so im gonna move my feeder.