How to keep feed from getting moldy?

[Strato]

I have recently moved to a new house and inherited the coop/chickens/ducks that come with it. When I first moved here last week, the owner showed me how to feed the birds, she keeps their feed in a metal trash can in their run. The feed had almost run out and was musty-smelling and moldy.

I have since gotten them a new feed bag, which I have also kept in the trash can (with this moisture absorber) but to my dismay it was immediately looking and smelling moldy the very next morning.

What do you all use to contain your feed? Should I start keeping it inside and just bringing a scoop of it every time I feed them? I'd prefer to keep it in their run for convenience's sake, but with the constant storms and rain that might not be the best idea.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sounds like either you're getting feed that's either spoiled or gone bad in the feed store, and/or you live in a hot/humid climate that's causing the feed to prematurely spoil. I can't imagine feed spoiling in a single night though. Check the mill dates on your bag.

I keep most of my feed in metal trashcans in the garage. We do have an insulated finished garage though, and a temperate climate.My actual feeder gets stored overnight in another metal trashcan near the run, under roofed cover. Never had a spoilage issue from storage method.

 

[ChickNanny13]

It's hot/humid here, summer months the worst. I keep the feed in the patio, in a plastic bin. Couple years ago I had feed mites show up in my bags, returned the first bag to the store but the second (half full) took to the boat ramp to feed the feral chickens & ducks.

I read somewhere here about chilling/freezing the feed. I ferment my feed, thought why not. So when purchasing a 50lb bag, I fill 6 - 7 2gal freezer ziplock bags, put that into the chest freezer, removing/defrosting a bag as I need. When I defrost a ziplock opened in the garage on a towel (condensation). The ziplock I keep in the bin in the patio, haven't had an issue since

Sounds like it a weather issue so keeping it in the house may work for you. Did you wash, disinfect and dry your feed can prior to putting the new bag in? You should take the feed back to the feed store if it's bad that fast.

You may want to update your profile with your location.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We keep ours in a big plastic trash can with a tight-fitting lid in the coop. We live in a humid climate but it doesn't get moldy. The scratch is kept in a metal trash can next to it and it's fine too.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Where I live we have many hot and humid days during the summer, think grain mites.
The rest of the year we get many days of cold and damp conditions, think mold.
I keep my feed in the house in a spare room near the back door.
I leave it in the bag tightly closed with a bag clip.
I use large coffee cans to bring feed to the coops. They hold about 4 pounds of crumble.
I only have 8 chickens so feed lasts over a month during the summer. . GC
ETA; like others have said Wash that can before adding fresh feed.

 

[Kusanar]

If you did not wash and dry the can, you just dumped good feed into a moldy can which gave that mold a really good chance to get started again. If I am only getting 1 bag at a time, I actually just set the bag in the can and open it, scoop out of the bag, this way the feed never touches the actual can.

 

[LvMyChks]

I like TSC and we buy a lot from there. This summer they replaced 3 bags of Purina Layena, moldy when I opened. We store feed in a concrete floor garage similar to where TSC stores feed. I put the bag I'm using in a metal trash can inside the coop, but moldy again. I see from other comments it's not just Purina but Dumor also. Tired of wasting and getting expensive too. We are near Kansas City and we have had more rain than normal this year. Suggestions?

 

[jreardon1918]

We have 6 hens. We go through a 50 pound bag in 4-6 weeks. One bag fits in two 5 gallon buckets. Tight seal lids. We drive to the feed store once a month to buy a bag. That way it is always fresh. We leave them in the cellar. The gallon pitchers you see are how i fill the feed and water. I wait for the feeder to almost empty. I bring a gallon of water every few days. Easy to carry. So far this has worked.

 

[Sequel]

I use one of those plastic bins with a threaded lid. I found one at a thrift store for 5 dollars. Feed seems to keep well but we've had a very dry summer so I think I could have kept it in anything. We're wet all winter here and I've never had bad feed but I do check the mill dates. Both places I get feed go through a lot and have good storage so that helps. Good luck!

 

[chevycstbb]

You can buy screw on lids for five gallon buckets on amazon