Help need to figure out way to store bulk food

[LoneCowboy]

I figure if you need to think outside the box, ask the smart people, so here I am.

I can get 500 lbs of bulk meat bird feed for .22 lb. That's tons cheaper than Flock Raiser that just went up to $16.40 a bag. So $11 is much better than $16.40. Problem is, I don't know how to cheaply store this much feed. I need suggestions on what to do.

 

[ashyannehand]

Maybe a couple of very large garbage cans that have good sealing lids? Old chest freezer? (my father uses an old chest freezer to grow earth worms for fishing)

I can seal 50 lbs in a wal-mart tote that cost about $4. Never have tried to store that much. I will be excited to see what other sugestions you get. I might try getting more feed at a time if it is cheaper at my local co-op. I have never even thought of it.

Good luck!

 

[sunnydee]

500 lbs..that's a lot of food! How about spliting the bag up with some of your local chicken owner neighbors?

 

[chickiebaby]

It wont e cheaer if it gets infested or spoils. Unless you have an awful lot of chooks I am not sure thats such a savings . . . I do like the idea of going in on it with a friend or two or three . . .I've never bought more than 150 pounds at once, I dont think.

 

[chickiebaby]

sorry for bad typing. I mean "it wont be cheaper if"

 

[Alaskan]

You first need to figure out how fast you go through feed.....it won't stay good forever.

Then, where to keep it? We have kept 20 bags, 40 or 50 pounds each, in a giant mountain in our mud porch.

I don't really recommend it.

but we don't have any other place to keep feed away from animals and in a good temperature.

I think finding people to share the order with you is best. That is how we buy our hay, lots of people come together for a giant container full.

 

[LynneP]

...and some feed, especially starter crumbles, expires in a short period of time and is never safe for birds of any age...you may find that the bulk offer is available on feed that is about to expire, so check carefully, the summer harvest is about to arrive at most distribution centres and this lot could be last year's...

 

[DawnSuiter]

DH just brought home big blue shipping containers, rather metal barrels that previously held juice $12 ea. They have screw on lids & are tight fitting. We'll be keeping our feed in these in the shade around the hen house. For chick starter, I bought XXXL ziplock storage bags... chick starter we keep in the house.

 

[Akane]

I've ordered animal feed in the 500lb range and then tossed as much as possible in a large freezer for up to a year. Used the rest within 4-6months and never left a bag sitting open. If I opened a bag I moved it to rubbermaid totes with good locking lids and no holes in the handles. Even better if you have multiple containers of different sizes so you can put 1 weeks worth of feed into 1 container and store a couple months worth in larger containers. The less it's exposed to the air the longer it lasts so every time you open the container you shorten the time it stays fresh. If you only open a container once a week I've found the food seems to stay fresh about a month longer than if you open it daily.

 

[keljonma]

You may want to do a search for sites that discuss food storage (as in What if ..it hits the fan, do you have enough food/water stored to survive).....