How long can feed sit out in a feeder?

[chfriedmam]

I see all these feeder ideas, diy and otherwise, that hold a lot of feed. But how long can feed sit out like that? shouldn't it bestored in a cool, dry place? Believe me, I'd LOVE to fill something with enough food for a week or more, but is that healthy for the chickens? Just asking. If it is routinely done let me know. how many days' worth of feed do you think is safe to put out in a feeder at a time?

 

[Brooks_]

As long as it's dry and out of direct sun, should be fine for a while. I just top off a 10# feeder daily. They don't use the second one much so it just keeps some (about 5#).

 

[Percheron chick]

Can you keep the feed dry and not become a draw for birds and rodents? Feeds have a % moisture. In summer if the feeder sits in the hot sun, it sweats and the feed will mold.
Yes in many areas, you can fill it every week and it's fine. But if you have daily thunderstorms, not the best plan.
I feed daily as a way to get the chickens back to the coop in the evening otherwise I have have to herd them and that gets old real fast.

 

[NatJ]

It varies depending on the climate.

A week is fine in many climates.
Several weeks are fine in some climates.

If you have more than a certain amount of rain or humidity, the feed will tend to cake up and not flow correctly in the feeder. If your climate is like that, you'll need a different style of feeder.

If you ever find mold growing in the feed, you know it was out there too long, so you'll want to change something for the future.

 

[K0k0shka]

It depends on a lot of things - style of feeder, type of food, where the feeder is located, your climate... Standard poultry feed is dry and has a long shelf life, provided that it doesn't get wet somehow. I wouldn't trust a feeder kept outside, even in a covered run. Moisture has a way of getting in there if it's outside. Better to keep it in the coop where it's protected, or change the feed more frequently if it's outside.

I have two feeders. A small trough-style feeder that sits outside (in the covered part of the run) which I only use for the wet mash that my chickens so love. I just mix some of their regular crumble with water, to the consistency of clumpy wet sand. They flock to it like it's a treat! I only give them as much as they'll eat within a couple of hours though, and haven't had any problems with it molding in the summer or freezing in the winter. It's gone before any of that happens.

And then my main feeder is a large 5 gallon DIY bucket feeder that stays inside the coop. I only have 7 chickens, so when I fill it up, it lasts for quite a while. Especially because they also eat their mash outside. I've never had any problems with it, in any weather, and we have the full range of weather - really hot, really cold, really humid, really dry etc. throughout the year.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I have 2 port hole feeders. 1 holds 10 lbs the other 5 lbs. They are both kept in the run. I fill them about every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks, any of the fines left in the bottom get turned into a wet mash. I live in central texas so the temps can be all over the place, but I haven't had any issues with mold, birds, or rodents. I have 5 hens and 4 pullets.

 

[blackdog043]

I use no waste feeders, I top them off once a week. I've never had a problem with the feed.

 

[lonewolfluv3]

It depends on a lot of things - style of feeder, type of food, where the feeder is located, your climate... Standard poultry feed is dry and has a long shelf life, provided that it doesn't get wet somehow. I wouldn't trust a feeder kept outside, even in a covered run. Moisture has a way of getting in there if it's outside. Better to keep it in the coop where it's protected, or change the feed more frequently if it's outside.

I have two feeders. A small trough-style feeder that sits outside (in the covered part of the run) which I only use for the wet mash that my chickens so love. I just mix some of their regular crumble with water, to the consistency of clumpy wet sand. They flock to it like it's a treat! I only give them as much as they'll eat within a couple of hours though, and haven't had any problems with it molding in the summer or freezing in the winter. It's gone before any of that happens.

And then my main feeder is a large 5 gallon DIY bucket feeder that stays inside the coop. I only have 7 chickens, so when I fill it up, it lasts for quite a while. Especially because they also eat their mash outside. I've never had any problems with it, in any weather, and we have the full range of weather - really hot, really cold, really humid, really dry etc. throughout the year.

How often do you do the mash??

 

[K0k0shka]

How often do you do the mash??

When I have the time or am not feeling too lazy Sometimes every day, sometimes once or twice a week, especially if it’s rainy or cold and I don’t feel like trekking out there to do it. I also do it as a bonding activity and feed them out of my hand.