Looking for advice on protein nutrition. How do you tell if a protein is better than another? Will feed companies give you a TDN?
I'm only on 130 acres. 2022 I fed 30k pounds mostly West Feeds because the local feed store carries it. Years past I always liked Gorman Red Chain feed. So this year 2023 I fed Gorman to start the season. Grass was green so deer were not eating too much. Seemed normal but then in May I was thinking deer should be eating more. They had only eaten 200 lbs Feb-May per feed location and that's stretching it. At one location I emptied one 1,000 lb feeder and put in West feed. I kept another 1k lb feeder of Gorman in the same pen. 3 weeks later I come back to check them out and the West feeder is half gone and Gorman maybe 10 lbs gone. Restock feeders. 3 weeks later I check again and West is empty and Gorman 100lbs gone. I restock both. 3 weeks pass, West is empty and Gorman maybe 200 lbs gone. I'm thinking the West feeder is closest to corn feeder so deer eat it first. I switch the feed in both feeders swapping places. Come back 3 weeks later and West is empty again and Gorman not touched much. So I can rule out its because the feeder is closer to corn. I even switched again in August just to check. My other 2 feed locations were strictly Gorman and were not eaten as quick. Even in December I put 500 lbs West feed out and they ate it before Gorman feed.
West feed is only 1/4-1/2" pieces and Gorman is 1/2' to over 1" long. I'm thinking maybe its because of the big pieces. I tried checking if Gorman can make smaller pieces but they can't. I wanted to test that.
Which feed would you go with? I'm fairly certain I'm going with West this year and just drive to their mill to buy direct. Is less feed maybe better than them eating too much? I'm also thinking of installing timers on feeders to control the amount. Give them only 40-50 pounds per day per location. They will eat 60-70 if I give free will. I have 3 - 3k pound feeders. I'm also thinking of keeping a 1k lb in each location with a different brand.
I even thought of setting up 3 feeders in one location to test 3 feeds.
I'm only on 130 acres. 2022 I fed 30k pounds mostly West Feeds because the local feed store carries it. Years past I always liked Gorman Red Chain feed. So this year 2023 I fed Gorman to start the season. Grass was green so deer were not eating too much. Seemed normal but then in May I was thinking deer should be eating more. They had only eaten 200 lbs Feb-May per feed location and that's stretching it. At one location I emptied one 1,000 lb feeder and put in West feed. I kept another 1k lb feeder of Gorman in the same pen. 3 weeks later I come back to check them out and the West feeder is half gone and Gorman maybe 10 lbs gone. Restock feeders. 3 weeks later I check again and West is empty and Gorman 100lbs gone. I restock both. 3 weeks pass, West is empty and Gorman maybe 200 lbs gone. I'm thinking the West feeder is closest to corn feeder so deer eat it first. I switch the feed in both feeders swapping places. Come back 3 weeks later and West is empty again and Gorman not touched much. So I can rule out its because the feeder is closer to corn. I even switched again in August just to check. My other 2 feed locations were strictly Gorman and were not eaten as quick. Even in December I put 500 lbs West feed out and they ate it before Gorman feed.
West feed is only 1/4-1/2" pieces and Gorman is 1/2' to over 1" long. I'm thinking maybe its because of the big pieces. I tried checking if Gorman can make smaller pieces but they can't. I wanted to test that.
Which feed would you go with? I'm fairly certain I'm going with West this year and just drive to their mill to buy direct. Is less feed maybe better than them eating too much? I'm also thinking of installing timers on feeders to control the amount. Give them only 40-50 pounds per day per location. They will eat 60-70 if I give free will. I have 3 - 3k pound feeders. I'm also thinking of keeping a 1k lb in each location with a different brand.
I even thought of setting up 3 feeders in one location to test 3 feeds.
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