Massive corn shortage expected in 2022. Tips for long term storage of feed?

[Regina Larsen]

Depending on the size of your flock, you might also want to think about using smaller bags. That way, you don't open a huge bag and leave your grain open to exposure the whole time. It might be better to get smaller (2-5 gallon bags as an example) and open each smaller bag as needed, leaving the rest protected.

FYI- I've done exactly this with wheat and barley seed. I bought 40# of each and repackaged them into 1 gallon mylar bags in 5 gallon buckets. They will last a long time with my smaller flock.

In my case im setting aside for our goats too. We don't grain them a lot, its really a small bedtime treat but i like to have some grain when my girls are in milk.

I agree on some smaller bags too - im thinking some 5 and some 1 gallon ones as well. Bran especially goes pretty far.

Very cool you have done it too! Nice to have insurance which hopefully we DON'T need ( but im pretty sure we will).

 

[TooCheep]

I'll use the grain regardless. I'm sprouting the grain to grow fodder, so I was careful to get whole, untreated grain. I've been doing this for a number of months now and have discovered that the greens are a very good addition for the chickens. They really enjoy the fresh young greens- particularly in the winter but even now in spring. I just bought and stocked a lot more than I normally would as insurance.

 

[Eden83_haaretz]

It’s being reported that due to fertilizer shortages and massive increases in cost, there will be huge crop shortages and shortages of many staples especially corn this year. Combined with the continuing supply chain breakdown and worker shortages this could get very bad.m in my opinion. Maybe it is overblown, but it got me thinking, what should we be doing to protect our flock and hedge against possible shortages?

How long can we store feed?

Can feed/corn be frozen or vacuum packed for a longer shelf life?

Alternatives to traditional feed?

Curious what y’all think about the possible shortage situation, overblown or potentially a huge problem?

https://www.zerohedge.com/economics...rtages-are-going-be-far-worse-were-being-told

https://www.agriculture.com/markets/factors-expected-to-drive-the-2022-corn-market

This is where globalization really messed up everything for everyone, being a country that should be top in corn and crop production, here in Mexico we import most of the corn and many grains . Living in the country side with land to farm I think will definitely help most people, and even trying to produce in small spaces.
Surely they will cause shortages, rise in prices, etc. Definitely time to stock up in my opinion, might not be that bad really but with a slowed economy better to be safe than sorry.
I worry too about feeding the chickens, business has been very slow these last years (we have more than 30 chickens currently and even though they forage I have seen them stressed when they don't get the feed they are used to). It's just about knowing your animals, your economics and planning ahead.

 

[Regina Larsen]

I'll use the grain regardless. I'm sprouting the grain to grow fodder, so I was careful to get whole, untreated grain. I've been doing this for a number of months now and have discovered that the greens are a very good addition for the chickens. They really enjoy the fresh young greens- particularly in the winter but even now in spring. I just bought and stocked a lot more than I normally would as insurance.

Ditto. The biggest fans of sprouts have been our ducks they love some tossed into the pools.

 

[Regina Larsen]

This is where globalization really messed up everything for everyone, being a country that should be top in corn and crop production, here in Mexico we import most of the corn and many grains . Living in the country side with land to farm I think will definitely help most people, and even trying to produce in small spaces.
Surely they will cause shortages, rise in prices, etc. Definitely time to stock up in my opinion, might not be that bad really but with a slowed economy better to be safe than sorry.
I worry too about feeding the chickens, business has been very slow these last years (we have more than 30 chickens currently and even though they forage I have seen them stressed when they don't get the feed they are used to). It's just about knowing your animals, your economics and planning ahead.

Agreed

 

[Al Gerhart]

The best expert on what is coming is Peter Zeihan, look him up on Youtube. That and watch the expat Chinese and travel bloggers on China. China is closing itself off to the world, it is getting harder for foreigners to enter and for their citizens to get out to travel. They print two to five times more fiat currency than the U.S. despite the fact that the Yuan is neither a store of value that is trusted like the Dollar nor is it a trade currency accepted in other countries. Belt and Road projects are a way to spend those nearly worthless Yuan notes and turn it into debt paid back with foreign currency. Their population is collapsing as well, the one child policy guaranteed that to happen.

Add to that the Ukranian/Russia war. The two largest exporters of wheat are no longer exporting, neither is India. Meanwhile China is vacuuming up any sort of protein or grain and the price is not important, they are dumping their excess dollars as fast as they can in anyway they can.

We are living in interesting times. I think no one is going to be able to totally replace what they are feeding their flock on, commercial feed, but supplementing it from a dozen sources like trash fish, insects, fodder/grass. food forest type fruits, it is all going to help.

 

[Regina Larsen]

The best expert on what is coming is Peter Zeihan, look him up on Youtube. That and watch the expat Chinese and travel bloggers on China. China is closing itself off to the world, it is getting harder for foreigners to enter and for their citizens to get out to travel. They print two to five times more fiat currency than the U.S. despite the fact that the Yuan is neither a store of value that is trusted like the Dollar nor is it a trade currency accepted in other countries. Belt and Road projects are a way to spend those nearly worthless Yuan notes and turn it into debt paid back with foreign currency. Their population is collapsing as well, the one child policy guaranteed that to happen.

Add to that the Ukranian/Russia war. The two largest exporters of wheat are no longer exporting, neither is India. Meanwhile China is vacuuming up any sort of protein or grain and the price is not important, they are dumping their excess dollars as fast as they can in anyway they can.

We are living in interesting times. I think no one is going to be able to totally replace what they are feeding their flock on, commercial feed, but supplementing it from a dozen sources like trash fish, insects, fodder/grass. food forest type fruits, it is all going to help.

Agreed. All good points.
Im setting up for cricket and black soldier fly breeding for my birds too, now that my winter greenhouse is finally (FINALLY!) done.

 

[Banana01]

There is not a massive corn shortage, it is just going to cost a whole lot more. That is probably by design, given that most farmland is owned or production is controlled by an invisible force or corporation.

The solution? If you have money, buy a ton of corn and build a store house. A ton of corn is between $400 to $500 where I live.

 

[raingarden]

They print two to five times more fiat currency than the U.S. despite the fact that the Yuan is neither a store of value that is trusted like the Dollar nor is it a trade currency accepted in other countries.

China owns about 20% of the U.S. national debt. With eight percent inflation, the money we pay off the national debt with is worth eight percent less than it was last year.

 

[Al Gerhart]

I had a friend that moved to China in the early 2000's, consulting for making solid surface materials. He told me that he kept everything at the point that he could get on a plane and leave the next day because when the dollar crashed the Chinese would butcher any American they could lay hands on. He wasn't worried about Chinese imports because we were giving them worthless dollars in return.

He got out in 2014, moved to Houston. A bit early but he saw the writing on the wall.

Our pensions and SS is also paid back in devalued dollars. The only thing keeping the dollar as the world store of value and reserve currency is the fact that all the other countries are in worse shape than we are or are small protected markets where not enough imports can be sold into to provide a steady market for export goods.