How long quickly do I need to use food up?

[amk122284]

I am so sick of going to tractor supply every 2 weeks for a bag of chicken pellets! We have a dog and have autoship through chewy but I can't find 20% all flock pellets on chewy to have shipped regularly. I would LOVE if I could just buy 6 months of food at a time but I'm pretty sure that isn't the best idea. How long would everyone recommend? Or does anyone else know of someplace online I can order from that doesn't charge more than the cost of the food to actually ship or doesn't have their prices grossly inflated?

 

[AltonaAcres]

Look for local graineries. We get a ton of chicken and goat feed at a time. And the food is whole grain, no byproducts, very cheap, and healthy. Best decision I ever made

 

[amk122284]

Look for local graineries. We get a ton of chicken and goat feed at a time. And the food is whole grain, no byproducts, very cheap, and healthy. Best decision I ever made

OMG I never thought of that! Friends from high school actually own the local. I am going to look into it!!! THANK YOU

 

[Cindy in PA]

Chewy does have Kalmbach All flock pellets for 24.99. That is $7 more than I pay for Flock Raiser at the store, but includes shipping on your $49 order.

 

[poultryprofessor]

How long feed will last depends on the feed itself and the storage conditions. It will last longest if kept in a cool, dark, dry place away from pests. Having said that, you can definitely keep feed for a couple of months without issue even if your only storage option is an outdoor shed. You may have a little vitamin degradation due to heat, but not so much to be a problem. Your real concern would be if the feed gets wet/damp and molds. That would be bad for your birds.


But... is there a particular reason why you are feeding 20% All Flock Pellets?

 

[GC-Raptor]

does anyone else know of someplace online I can order from that doesn't charge more than the cost of the food to actually ship

My local Tractor Supply will ship feed to my driveway for $6 to $10 dollars.
I have never used it.

I would LOVE if I could just buy 6 months of food at a time but I'm pretty sure that isn't the best idea. How long would everyone recommend?

I had feed go bad at 5 months past mill date. It was stored in my house at room temperature.
Egg production dropped by half and consumption dropped.
I checked the feeder and feed looked good, but had a strong medicine like smell.
I checked the bag of feed and it also smelled bad.
I bought new feed and consumption and egg production came back up.

Feed stored outside in hot, humid or damp conditions will spoil in less time. GC

 

[want2know]

I live in South Texas and late in July through mid September I brought my feed up to the house from the shed to store, after having to dump some feed that went bad due to excessive heat.

 

[Folly's place]

Local small mills may or may not provide a useful product; some will be great, and some, not so much. It's worth checking, at least. Whole grain diets can be a problem, because the vitamin/ mineral mix drifts to the bottom of the bag, and some birds will choose the best tasting items in the feed, and for both reasons, not get a balanced diet.
That makes a good case for processed feeds instead, and most local mills will only have a mash, because of the cost of equipment to make pellets and crumbles.
So, the mash should be less expensive if bought locally, if it's good quality. Here, years ago, our local mill, now closed, produced a less than terrific product; one bag was enough for me!
Mary

 

[jreardon1918]

We only have 4 hens and 3 pullets (19 weeks). For us that is about one 50 pound bag a month. I go to a great local feed store. It is a nice place to visit. Makes this suburban guy feel almost like a farmer. Their feed is always hot off the production line, so I know it is fresh. There is normally a line of their feed trucks filling to deliver to area farms. We do store our feed in a cool dry place. In 5 gallons buckets, so I think buying two bags at a time would not be a big deal. But, I'll take the sort drive, mingle (safely) with the feed store folks one a month. YMMV

 

[amk122284]

update, local feed mill, got 150 lbs which should last us about a month and a half. I am hoping it doesn't go bad in that time! I'm going to see how it goes and then add another 50 lb bag for a total of 200 lbs and evaluate again. Thanks for everyones input!