Best outdoor storage containers

[1Crazychickenlady]

Hi all! I’m currently storing all of our feed and treats in plastic totes in the garage, but would like to move it outdoors and am looking for opinions on the best inexpensive storage containers to keep outdoors. Don’t want to attract unwanted visitors or have moisture issues.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

We used to have big plastic barrels for wheat mill we used for feed bags

 

[1Crazychickenlady]

I was hoping plastic barrels could work, as we have a few laying around here. I was worried something might chew through the plastic. They are pretty hard though.

 

[black_cat]

I use metal trashcans with bungee cords on the lids. These are under the porch.

 

[imnukensc]

Around here, squirrels will chew through anything plastic if any feed/treats/seed are stored inside. I use metal trash cans. Smaller cans store scratch feed or BOSS. Larger cans store feed.

 

[jreardon1918]

We have a small flock. A fifty pound feed bag fits in two five gallon buckets. That lasts about four weeks. We store it in the basement. Stays cool and dry and away from critters. Visit the local feed store once a month to buy a bag. They are a big supplier. So the feed is always fresh.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Don’t want to attract unwanted visitors or have moisture issues.

Beware of sweating when the sun shines on an a cold outdoor container from the night temps as it very easily can create mold issues. There is actually some moisture in our dry feeds even. Grain silos have ventilation fans. I wonder if double wall insulating something might work well?

I use a metal can.. I just leave the lid off (under covered run) after I feed in the morning and put it back on when I collect feed at night. This has worked extremely well for me in an areas with coons, rats, squirrels, etc. Thus far.

I do have a broken down deep freezer that I am going to try and convert to grain storage.. noting I always keep the feed in it original bag. Or if storing in the container be sure to include the original tag that includes feed lot #, mill date, etc.. IN CASE any poison/health investigation or reporting needs to be looked into.

I never had issues with using plastic totes kept outdoors when I did fermented feed. A lot of what issue you may face could depend on the traffic/activity level around your house.. like if you have active dogs or no dogs.

Best wishes finding a good solution.. one thing for sure about outdoor stuff like totes.. they diminish rapidly in UV or freezing conditions. The large plastic trash can I was fermenting in seems to have held up much better as it was made for outdoor use. Longevity definitely adds to cost factor. I might actually try my metal and plastic cans side by side for storage and see if my squirrels do make their way into the plastic one.. as the plastic one hold much greater volume than my metal.. and was cheaper as well.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Metal barrels for sure to avoid rodents and squirrels from chewing into the feed. Metal works fine as long as it isn't sitting out side where cold winds can hit it. Condensation happens when the air inside the barrel is warmer than the lid of the barrel, moisture in the air condenses on the cold surface and drips into the feed. Toss a blanket over the barrel if the weather is changing rapidly or if it is inside a closed in barn I have never had a problem with metal feed barrels.

 

[K0k0shka]

If using a metal bin, definitely bungee or otherwise secure the lid somehow to make it raccoon-proof. Our visiting raccoons can open my metal trash bin. Condensation is another problem with metal, as others have pointed out.

 

[chickawhat]

I use metal trashcans with bungee cords on the lids. These are under the porch.

Do your metal cans leak at the handle.