Advice on storage bins needed

[johnmayersquare]

I use metal trash cans too. I have them on either side of the coop door and one is for feed and one is for scratch. There is an overhang from the roof too, so they don't get weathered too much

 

[BettyR]

I use a plastic garbage can that sits on the porch outside the coop. I put a cinder block on top of the lid at night to keep coons out of it. It works very well...I didn't think to move it when hurricane Ike came through and it was sitting right were I left it after the hurricane and the feed was dry and fresh.

 

[hippichick]

I use the bins that you are thinking about ordering, and they work very well. I have 4 of them stacked 2 high each. I used to put my feed in garbage cans, but these take up alot less room. But I bought mine at Lowe's and I think they were cheaper than the price at Wal Mart--maybe around $14.00 each, not sure. And they stock them at Lowes, so you wouldnt have to order online.
Now I bought mine a few months ago, and with prices going up on everything, you might want to check on that price. They might have gone up.

Paula

 

[DaKid]

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this is what I USE FOR MY TURKEY FEED & -CHICKEN FEED , the large type ....... it will whole 200 lbs of feed

The smaller size will whole 100 lbs in which I USE FOR THE CRACK CORN

KEEP IT IN THE BIG BARN/GARAGE WITH COVERS , NEVER HAD A MIOCE PROBLEM or feed going bad


Al.

 

[brandywine]

When we bought our place, there was an old non-functional small chest freezer in the barn. It had been used to store horse feed.

So I put the bags of chicken and cat feed in it. No rodents or insects, everything stays dry and fresh.

On top I have three snap-top 5-gallon buckets that formerly held cat litter -- pellets, scratch, and cat food. That way I don't have to open the old freezer very often. Feed stays very fresh in the buckets, and they are insect-proof. If I see signs that rodents are trying them, they'll go inside the freezer too.

 

[HenSpa]

Can I ask you guys a question slightly off subject? (I'll be outta here in a minute, promise.) I'm desperate for a quick reply before I go to bed, and before t-row. How much should I expect to pay for a started pullet standard hen? I need something to go by...

 

[alalele]

Quote:
Oh good! I'll stop by a Lowes tomorrow and look. Their online site doesn't have the bins listed (but do show other Suncast products) though I have found that they don't usually have ALL things listed that's in the brick and morters. I'm just ready to GET something for my bulk storage of all those 50lb bags so I can better organize my Morgan shed. I don't have signs of rodents or pests YET and figure the sooner I get those bags off the floor the better.... and I'm glad to see ALL of you who posted who use the Rubbermaid- type storage bins say that they haven't had rodents or bugs get in... so Thanks!


Brandywine and others who use the old chest freezers... That DOES sound like a great storage solution to hold various bulk bags of feed etc.

The metal trash can I use for rabbit feed just holds my BULK storage and I go to it to refill my smaller bin that I dip into daily. It has worked great, but just don't want to take up 4 more cans of floor space to get more if I can help it.

Several people mentioned the repurposed square cat food plastic pails.... I use Sun Washing powder that comes in square pails and reuse those for multitudes of purposes. They hold a bag of litter for my rabbit perfectly.... I've stored excess house paint in the pails (cause the metal cans end up rusting).. and I even use them for the daily bin of chicken feed that IS stored outside near the chicken feeders with a scoop inside. They seal wonderfully and hold about 2 weeks worth of feed.

HENSPA... that IS an off-subject question but this is what I've seen so far. I've seen started pullets go for $5 -6 a piece back in the spring. But then in my local paper I'd very recently seen Laying hens sold by individual who had too many of their chicks survive (well they expected some not to make it) and they were getting 2 dozen eggs a day and going through too much feed. I know because I called... they only asked $8 a hen.... but said they sold out the FIRST day they'd posted the ad. I thought $8 was really cheap given that they'd fed them for 5 months already. So you might want to be checking your local paper.

Thanks to all who have posted... !

 

[Maidservant]

I use 45 gallon and 55 gallon steel drums. My dad used to work at a factory that used them and he cleaned some out and brought them home. The 45 gallon ones will hold two bags of feed, and the 55 gallon ones will hold three bags of feed if you leave the feed in the bags. Once I get a few more rabbits and can devote an entire drum to rabbit food, I'll be pouring the feed into the barrel. Out of the bag, the 45 gallon drum will hold 3 bags of feed, and the 55 gallon one will hold 4-5 depending on the size of what you are putting in it. If the grain is large/light (think oats or deer corn) they hold less.

If you have any factories around, call and ask if they ever have any available. They will usually re-use them until they cannot use them any more, but once they're done with them, they still make excellent storage. They're solid metal with metal lids, so no rodents. The few racoons around here haven't figured out how to get the lids off, so no problems there. The only problems that you may run into is the fact that they don't stack, and are extremely heavy when they are full. Do not try to move them once they are full.

Hope this helps,
Emily in NC