Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Cost on soybeans

So, we are going to supplemental feed this offseason.
Here's my shorthand figures so far(tell me if I'm wrong):
April-September is 6 months
I have no idea what the cost is for a bag of soybeans($10?)

Are we looking at $2000+ to feed in the offseason??
I'm basing this off of 500 lbs a week, 10x10=100, 100x24=$2400

Please tell me I'm way off...I got the 500 lbs cause a buddy of mine said they feed 450 lbs every 3 days. And I was thinking 'we can't afford that, we will be on a stricter budget"

Advice please, thanks

Better makes sure your deer will eat soybeans before you spend all that's money. Our deer crush the beans we plant for them but shelled bagged beans rot in our feeders

Ok. Good to know.

I want to add that this is for 1000 acres.

I've read that maybe 7,000-10,000 lbs?? in 6 months is more realistic for 1,000 acres.

And that a 50 lb bag costs $12-$15???

how are u feeding the beans? Can you post a pick of your feeder if is a bunk style? We are going to try the same thing this year just trying to get some ideas on how to put out the beans. We have a bad hog problem so feeder will have to be tall and tough/bolted to ground I think

We haven't gotten that far. We are thinking gravity feeders made from big drums.

I think 500 lbs a week is a wee bit on the high side...the deer are going to be feeding on other browse as well.

Better spent money would be to fertilize the natural preferred browse that you have on the property. A couple of hundred spent on fertilizer will go further. Plant some honeysuckle and other growing food sources. Another thing is that the other critters in the woods are going to eat the soybeans, corn and other grains you put out there.

Thanks timbercruiser that is a great idea.

I have heard that soybeans to deer is like ice cream to humans. It is so rich that you cant eat it exclusively for a long period of time.

Why don't you supplemental plant them into a few of your plots during the off season and let them benefit from the browse all along you are getting the same benefit without all of the cost of 450lbs a week.

My property is surrounded by soybean fields. Last October when's the beans were being harvested a truck spilled about 500 lbs right in front of my house. I shoveled up as much as I could and put it out. The deer hammered the beans for three or four days but then the beans began to rot and they were useless. Deer here eat them April through harvest.

Use 6 hog panels and 12 t posts to make a 30' circular enclosure.

I was thinking later after season on filling up a spin-cast feeder with a mixture of soybeans, deer protein pellets and a little corn.

Checked my local feed store on prices.

Record Rack 20% Protein pellets - $13.95 for 50 lb. bag

Roasted Soybeans (all that they carry) $18.50 for 50 lb. bag

Bulk Corn (bring your own bags) $13.50 per 100 lbs.

Looks like it could get kinda expensive.

Definately what Timbercruiser said. If you fertilize your existing natural food sources and plant some summertime food for them, your money will go way further than it will running it through a feeder. I'm not saying not to feed. I'm just saying that if money is a factor, (and it is for me) there are more cost efficeint ways to help grow some deer.

When my father n law was alive and a bag of soybeans was around $7 a bag he fed 300 lbs a week on 1500 acres. The deer loved them and it made a big difference, but after he passed and the price of soybeans shot up over $15 a bag it just was not feasable anymore. If I could get them for around $7 again I would do it in a heartbeat.

Cuz-Pat, if you don't mind; where did you find those roasted soybeans?

Riverside Feed in Northport has them. All they have are the roasted beans. Jim said deer eat the roasted beans better than non roasted.

Kind of pricey to me.

thank you Sir!

I would plant soybeans over the summer, the eagle seed forage varity. The deer will get more from the green leaf than the Belen's in a trough... A lot less work and better in the end for the deer and your wallet. Put out mineral dumps to encourage antler growth.

You can do all this cheaper than filling up feeders and casters. It will take some time for them to start eating the beans also if you do feed them mix the beans with corn 10% beans to 90% corn and over a couple of months slowly transition it to 90% beans to10% corn... But trust me the forage will be better for them....