Calling all LARGE flock owners! Feed Question?

[Heron's Nest Farm]

I buy 1 ton of food a month.

I am curious what other large flock owners are doing for storing 40 bags at a time and keeping the rodents out?

PLEASE! Heeeeeeeeeelp!

 

[Folly's place]

Wow! That is a large flock! How about a very secure feed room, with door always shut, traps set, and a good cat? Mary

 

[Den in Penn]

Cats are very important workers on my place. Also use a box that can hold 15 bags. The box is wooden but I have lined it with metal flashing to help. I have used traps when the cats seem to be falling behind. If I was using a ton or more a month I would look into a tight metal bin or silo.

 

[donrae]

I buy mine in a canvas tote. I think it's 1500lbs. We store the tote on pallets in the pole barn. We have cats and dogs that patrol for rodents, and if I notice signs of rodents I put out bait. I've not had a problem with my animals eating a poisoned rodent.

Were I buying bags of feed, I'd invest in galvanized trash cans or large plastic storage containers with lockable lids. I know some folks have had rodents chew through plastic totes, but I think you'd have to have a pretty strong infestation for that to happen. Haunt Craigslist, on my local I see food grade storage containers regularly.

Cats and rat terriers are great workers for rodent control.

 

[Chris09]

A good Rat Terrier, out of working lines will out work any cat and will go after the smallest mouse all the way up to groundhogs, opossums, raccoons and even a stray cat or dog.

If you can them other good dogs would be Patterdale Terriers or a Plummer Terriers.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

Thanks everyone. We have cats- 3. I have never had a problem until now. I think I am going to buy an empty liquid fish container. They are about the size of ton of food. I can cut the top off and put the bags in. Its too slick to be climbed. I can place it on a pallet and put the poison bait under it in the pallet space. I can create a top.

I originally had one of out home made squash harvesting boxes (4'x4x'3'h) lined with plastic (a solid piece), but I am having moisture issues. I'm thinking of redesigning it.

I like the idea of baiting underneath and I have never had any cat get sick from poisoned gophers- although we have a new cat and it is retarded. No, I mean it. He had distemper in the womb and as a result his brain did not develop correctly. He is unable to catch any prey and so he will pick up dead things when he can. My other cats would never bother with dead animals.

Maybe some traps....

 

[aart]

Curious..... as to what a 'liquid fish container' is made out of and what it looks like.

 

[shortgrass]

We use 55 gallon drums for the chicken mix, with a sealed lid. And cats, lol, lots of cats.

The bagged feed goes in a shipping container, sealed, of course.

The grain bin itself is too hard for them to get into, but they spend most of the time in the haystacks anyway. But we also have owls, hawks, assorted other critters to help keep rodent populations down, lol even the chickens are known to pop up with a nest of delicious pinkies here and there

 

[95yj]

Look around for small dairy or pork farms selling out, you might be able to pick up a grain bin for cheap and talk to a grain company about delivering bulk grain, delivery might be cheap if you have commercial farms in the area using the same company, talk around. another thing you could consider is finding one of those 400 gallon rubber/plastic cubes with a cage around it used to move bulk chemicals and liquids.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

Look around for small dairy or pork farms selling out, you might be able to pick up a grain bin for cheap and talk to a grain company about delivering bulk grain, delivery might be cheap if you have commercial farms in the area using the same company, talk around. another thing you could consider is finding one of those 400 gallon rubber/plastic cubes with a cage around it used to move bulk chemicals and liquids.

We are an organic farm so out possibilities are limited. It's MORE expensive for them to come out and fill a silo then it is to buy bagged from my local feed store!!!!!!!

The rubber cube is exactly what I am thinking. My neighbor is just finishing his fish poop off and he will let me buy it for the price of the deposit. I think this is a great solution.

I want a silo. Eventually I want to get an automatic feeder system for the egg laying hen house. My breeders will always get special attention and individual feeding as they require constant maintenance!

It's very hard to get certified organic chicken food and it has to be certified for our organic certification!