Moldy feed?

[Chopper923]

Good morning!
Our local feed mill closed due to the owners retiring. We've resorted to buying commercial feed at TSC. I picked up a bag of Dumor all flock feed, and I found some suspicious materials in the bag AFTER mixing part of it with the local, organic feed. Please see the picture and tell me this is normal/safe! It's almost web-like...best way I can think of to describe it.

 

[sourland]

I'd take it back and demand a new bag. Did you check the expiration date on the bag?

 

[nuthatched]

Simply, take it back and ask for a new bag. Those are bugs not mold, they're going to want to know.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Simply, take it back and ask for a new bag. Those are bugs not mold, they're going to want to know.

Agreed, looks like bugs. Had that in some dog food years back. TSC will want to know so they can investigate and address if the problem originated before or after it got to them, and so they can check other products. Also, they should happily refund or replace, since you won't be feeding that to your flock.

 

[Chopper923]

Thank you all for your replies! Do I need to throw out the stuff I already mixed together? (New feed with the last of my local feed.)

 

[ChickenChick46]

Thank you all for your replies! Do I need to throw out the stuff I already mixed together? (New feed with the last of my local feed.)

I will let someone with far more chicken experience than I've got answer that, but here's my personal experience: in the case of my dog food, I did not toss it. For one, they'd already eaten some before I found the problem. I asked the vet who said the webs and bugs (there were like dried bug parts, so gross) would not hurt the dogs at all, so if they'd eat it, not to worry. They did, and they were fine.

I also have gone ahead and used squirrel and deer corn around the property that had the same issue, and no problems there either. And I know the wild birds eat from the deer corn.

 

[Chopper923]

I'd take it back and demand a new bag. Did you check the expiration date on the bag?

According to the web, "This date stamp is not typically an expiration date, as most feed bags, including Dumor, don't have explicit expiration dates like human food products. Instead, you'll need to use the manufacturing date to estimate the feed's freshness." Is this the manufactured date they are referring to?

 

[Chopper923]

I will let someone with far more chicken experience than I've got answer that, but here's my personal experience: in the case of my dog food, I did not toss it. For one, they'd already eaten some before I found the problem. I asked the vet who said the webs and bugs (there were like dried bug parts, so gross) would not hurt the dogs at all, so if they'd eat it, not to worry. They did, and they were fine.

I also have gone ahead and used squirrel and deer corn around the property that had the same issue, and no problems there either. And I know the wild birds eat from the deer corn.

Makes sense! Thank you.

 

[ChickenChick46]

Makes sense! Thank you.

You're welcome! I've noticed that TSC and the like seem to go through spells where things aren't the greatest, then they're fine for a long time. I don't know if it's happening before or after the store gets the stuff.

We just don't have a more local, small feed store option that's all that close. We're kind of out in the middle of nothing. But the TSC and RK both are within 20 minutes and generally have everything we need for all the animals we own. One stop on a busy day is appealing.

 

[nuthatched]

Thank you all for your replies! Do I need to throw out the stuff I already mixed together? (New feed with the last of my local feed.)

It depends if they're are any clumps, personally .