Commercial Chicken Food Longevity

[yawningreyhound]

Hi everyone! Do you guys have an opinion on how long a bag of Layena and a bag of Feather Fixer should still be viable?

I read recently that we shouldn't feed from the same bag longer than 3 months. I keep it refrigerated in our cold garage in a heavy duty plastic drum stored inside its own bag.

I have 3 chickens now and this food will last way longer than three months.

I just got two shellless eggs in the past 7 days, so I got to wondering about that food warning.

Also, we lost the lead bird suddenly on the 9th, and I was blaming the soft-shelled eggs on stress. She was a benevolent leader, never biting or pecking, her sheer size and presence enough to get her own way. The next in charge hen is a pokey, bitey girl and seems to have taken her new role very seriously, to the dismay of the others.

But maybe this food I bought in February should be discarded and I buy new.

It's not expensive. Like $14/bag for the Layena and $16/bag for the Feather Fixer. I was feeding the Feather Fixer because they had some tail issues but after the most recent molt, everyone is finely tailed and feathered.

Thanks for listening!

Marcia in Colorado

 

[Folly's place]

I have many more birds, and try to use up the feed in 30 days or so. You could call Purina or ask on the Purina forum here. Mary

 

[nguyenkinhphuc2]

I have many more birds, and try to use up the feed in 30 days or so. You could call Purina or ask on the Purina forum here. Mary

How do stores (Tractor Supply, Southern States) do with feed that they cannot sell within 30 days?

 

[Folly's place]

I would ask at the store, and check dating on the feed bags. A busy store with high feed turnover is good. If the feed isn't open dated, call the manufacturer and ask about the lot numbers. Mary

 

[Percheron chick]

I wouldn't worry about it. The 2 things that make feed deteriorate and spoil, heat and humidity, are not an issue for us. 3 hens are going to eat at least 1# a day so 2 full bags will last 3 months. I would keep it in a sealed container (not a metal garbage can) where it will not attract bears.