Chick feed: how old is old?

[HopeSprings]

I was poking around the feed store this morning, looking at bags of chick starter. Thanks to y'all, I checked out the dates and found some were made last August! Isn't that rather old?! I asked if they would be keeping it in stock, and was told they would. (My chicks are not scheduled to arrive until May.)
Hmmmm....

 

[sylviethecochin]

It's not odd.

Confession: if it's been kept through the winter, I will use old chicken feed (it's basically been refrigerated!)

But I buy it fresh. If the youngest available mill date's older than four weeks, I take my business elsewhere, at least for chick feed and layer feed.

Many here refuse to feed anything older than six weeks. I'm not that picky, but I'm paying money, and I expect to get my value's worth.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I was poking around the feed store this morning, looking at bags of chick starter. Thanks to y'all, I checked out the dates and found some were made last August! Isn't that rather old?! I asked if they would be keeping it in stock, and was told they would. (My chicks are not scheduled to arrive until May.)
Hmmmm....

Yes, it's old.
Vitamins and minerals break down. You don't know how the feed was stored, if it got damp, has become rancid or moldy.

I would not buy it. If it's a store like Tractor Supply, then ask if they have any in the back. Seems like this is the time of year they drag out older stuff - people are in a rush to buy chicks and getting supplies and it's easy to get rid of it.

I will not buy feed more than 4-6weeks MAX from the mill date. IF what I normally use is too old, then I find a substitute that is fresh. I feed an all flock type feed, so substitutions are a bit easier for me. I have even fed my flock (all adults) chick starter because that was the freshest on the shelf.

 

[blackdog043]

I buy direct from Bartlett Mill, the mill date is usually less than a week old.

This is from the Nutrina web site.
Feed Freshness
What is the shelf life of your poultry feeds?
When stored properly in dry, moderate temperature conditions, feed can be stored for up to 4 months, although we recommend usage within 60 days in hot, humid summer months and 90 days in cooler months. Always inspect feed prior to use for bugs, mold, or other evidence of damage.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I had feed go bad at 5 months from mill date. I got it around 2 months old. I bought 2 bags for 5 chickens.
I kept it in my house in the original bag.
My hens egg production dropped suddenly. I checked the feeder and sniffed. It had a strong chemical smell.
I checked the bag in the house and it smelled the same.
I bought new fresh feed and washed the feeder.
Egg production rose back to normal.

I now buy feed where I can check the dates before buying.
I do not buy feed so old anymore that I couldn't use it up within 5 months past mill date. Less than 4 months even better.
I just bought feed Thursday, mill date February 19. Three weeks old.

When I only had 3 Hens, I would buy the Non-Medicated Start & Grow in a 25# bag.
I now have 10 chickens, so I buy one 50# bag at a time.

I check the dates on feed and buy the freshest of either a Non-Medicated Starter-Grower or a All-Flock/Flock Raiser Crumbles. 18-20% Protein.
I offer Oyster Shells separately for my Pullets and Hens. GC

 

[SueT]

I do not buy old feed. I go by the 6 week guideline too.
BTW, Purina feeds date is written like this with the first digit representing the year, so 9 = 2019:

So this bag, that I just got, was made Feb 21, less than a month old. Other companies date it differently, usually more like you'd write the date, with the year last. Some put it on a tag, some on the bag.
The store where I bought this, doesn't rotate their stock. The bag under it was dated in Jan., and the one under that was August. Lucky for me, I don't want to lift several bags to get to the freshest!

 

[GC-Raptor]

Some put it on a tag,

Like this.

This is the previous bag of feed I bought last month. It was a week fresher than Flock Raiser.
My chickens like both feeds so I get the freshest. GC