How long do feed and scratch last?

[SeaChick]

How long does feed last (properly stored?)

I was under the impression that it could go rancid and harm the chickens if stored for more than 6 weeks or so... not so?

What about scratch? What's the shelf-life? The organic stuff only comes in 50# bags, and with just 6 chickens that's gonna take a loooong time to use up 50#. Will it last that long?

How would you know if it was bad/rancid?

Thanks!
Stacey

 

[Country Gal]

Good question... I buy my food in 50# bags, and with 27 chickens, I'm going through a bag a week... no worries on my food going bad.

Scratch is another story, it didn't even occur to me that it might go bad!

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

Keep it sealed in a water tight bin and it should last at least a year. We use a metal trash can so the squirels cant chew through it.

 

[SeaChick]

I emailed Blue Seal and they said no problem.... just keep it dry and cool. That's for the feed. I assume the same goes with scratch.

Stacey

 

[SandraChick]

It is true that you can keep feed a long time when properly stored...BUT there is concern about the breakdown of nutrients (not detectable like going rancid)--and then if you don't use something like food grade DE then you know how those weavels and other critters seem to get into what seems the most sealed environments! (of course, that just adds some protein to the feed!)


Some feed stores will open a bag and sell it to you in 5,10, 25 pound increments (usually for a little more per pound). My feed store didn't do this at first, but after several people asked they decided it was worth their while and now they have them pre-split into 10#bags for all that want them.

Another option is to find someone else with just a few chickens and split a bag---a note at the feed store bulletin board will surely come up with someone....and then you'll have another "chickener" to talk to!

Sandra

edited for typos

 

[sundance]

With 24 chickens, i go thru a #50 lb bag a week, they also have a pretty large area to free range. They are not quite old enough to start laying but we're really looking forward to those first eggs.

Mother to 24 RIR, 1Pitt bull, 1 poodle mix, and 1 yorkie, and since my grandgaughter lives next door I guess I'm stepmother to l Great Dane and 1 poodle, and 2 mother horses and 2 colts that so almost as much fun as my chicks

 

[s6bee]

Ok, stupid question, what's scratch?

Stephanie

 

[aran]

scratch is a stuff with cracked corn in it i think...ive not fed it yet because its warm out but i will i guess in winter. I also go through AT LEAST 1x50lb bag of feed/week for my 21girls and 3 boys. ( and i just added 5 ducks and 2 new hens are coming next week!!!!)

It amazes me that these birds are probably only around 4lbs each themselves yet they eat half their body weight in food each week. That would be like me getting through 92lbs of food/week!

 

[jessied1227]

I just buy maybe 5-10 pounds of scratch at a time, and keep it in a small bin. It's also pretty warm here, so I haven't been giving them a lot of corn.

I keep the scratch for when the girls are being stubborn and won't come in to the coop at night

With my 12, I go through a 50 lb. bag of layers crumbles about every two weeks.

Jess