Is this mold in the crumbles?

[Madhouse Pullet]

It looks darker to me.

With some black pieces.

The only date listed on the bag

08-28-2021, is that the expiration?

 

[sybonbon]

I've bought Purina feed from TSC and the date was good but the food was gray. It's all in how it is stored at the retail location. It was also one big solid brick on the bottom. I returned it and now I buy Kalmbach from chewy. It states right on the back how to properly store it. So far, it's great food and never a problem.

 

[Ebony Rose]

I've compared the image you posted with the image of this product found online at shop.centerracoop.com. The images do not even remotely look the same. The product shown online more closely resembles pellets than your photograph. This does NOT mean that the online store that I mentioned didn't simply use a 'stock' photo, without regard to the look of the actual feed in the bag.

If the product seems grey or 'downy' or 'fluffy' then it's likely that it's molding.

I searched about 100 images online and only found the one image that wasn't just a picture of the bag.

If in doubt, throw it out. Or, at least return it to the store. Moldy feed can sicken your flock or kill your birds.

 

[Mosey2003]

8/28/21 would be the mill date. Meaning that food is over 5 months old. I wouldn't buy anything over a month out if I could help it, but after 3 months you're really getting iffy.

If it looks off, I would pitch it and go get something else. Check the tags in the store.

 

[vall]

That is pretty old, I just bought a bag of different Purina crumble with a mill date of early January. I don't think that looks like mold but it could be dirt/contamination or a poorly mixed ingredient.

 

[Brooks_]

@Madhouse Pullet
Is there any printing on the top (white) strip? Can you get a picture of the tag?

 

[K0k0shka]

That feed is almost half a year old... Too old to use either way, regardless of what the gray stuff is. Feed degrades over time, especially if not stored properly. Check the mill date before buying if you can (that's the date listed on the bag). I wouldn't buy anything that's more than 2-3 months old. And that's with my chickens going through one bag in about a month. If yours take longer to finish it, go for a more recent mill date so it can last you longer without going over 4 months.

 

[Madhouse Pullet]

I went to the feed store to show them, and they told me it was molasses. The said it didnt look like mold and my chickens will be fine.
I trust the guy I spoke to because hes the "chicken guy" there but, i still find it weird that a brand would have mix-up issues like that.

 

[K0k0shka]

I went to the feed store to show them, and they told me it was molasses. The said it didnt look like mold and my chickens will be fine.
I trust the guy I spoke to because hes the "chicken guy" there but, i still find it weird that a brand would have mix-up issues like that.

Regardless of what it is or isn't, the fact remains that the feed is too old to use by this point. Anything older than 4 months is a risk. He should know better than to sell feed this old. He wants to turn a profit and keep selling it, which makes sense from a seller's point of view, and it helps his case that these feed products don't have an expiration date like human food does - so he's not forced by law to pull them off the shelves after a certain point. He can keep trying to pass them off to less experienced buyers who don't know to watch out for mill dates or look for fresher feed. It doesn't have to be a malicious act on his part at all - maybe he doesn't believe there's anything wrong with the feed, or maybe times are hard for his business and he's trying to sell whatever he can. Or maybe he just doesn't know any better (being "the chicken guy" is no guarantee for knowledge and experience, he could just be the guy they assigned to the poultry section and nothing more). I don't like food waste either, but at the same time, chickens are very sensitive to nutritional deficiencies and can develop all kinds of problems from an insufficient diet, so I wouldn't risk it.

 

[Painted Calls]

My TSC is infamous for having 8+ month old feed. I have switched brands multiple times just to get what is the most fresh. When confronted about the mill dates and how old the feed is, their response is always "Feed is perfectly fine for 6 months." So aggravating. Definitely always check mill dates before you buy. Good habit to get into.

I do not see mold, no. However I do agree that it is quite old.