Very odd issue with my layer pellets

[bfcerny]

So, I guess it may only be odd to me and normal for everyone else and i just don't know it. I put my 50 bag of pellet in a very large gatorade water cooler. Just like the ones you see football players dump on their coaches after a win. I mixed in a 3% food grade DE treatment. I had their large feeder completely full and today i went to replenish it. I opened the cooler and the pellets were complete mush about 12 inches deep. The lid was sealed and on tight. Is there some sort of condensation issue that a plastic container would cause in 90+ heat that i am not aware of? It almost seems like someone opened it up and dumped a gallon of water in there. There was no standing water, but it was all absorbed into the pellets. It was only in there for about 8 days. I am especially surprised because I had a pound and a half of DE mixed in. Very confused.

Any ideas?

 

[turtlebird]

perhaps the DE absorbed humidity from the air (?)......well, no....that doesn't explain it?? I have no clue! But I would be concerned about the feed being ruined (spoiled). Did you throw it out? Perhaps someone else will know.

 

[tri-5-ron]

by chance, had you just washed/rinse out the gatorade cooler, prior to putting in th feed?
does the interior of the cooler have a crack in it?
could water have been in the insulation of the cooler, and then "wicked" back into the the pellets?

for 12" of pellets to turn to mush,.... there would need to be more water than a simple condensation.

My guess is someone, or somehow, water got into, or was already present, in the cooler.

 

[Tala]

how long have you been using the cooler to store feed in it??? Is it exposed to the elements (not in a shed/building)??? Does it have a drinking spout, or air vent in the top?

Because I'm positive that those coolers' lids are NOT watertight. Mine leaks water out, so surely water can get in too.

I recommend a metal trashcan, but a Rubbermaid tote also works (if you don't have mice)

 

[Kittymomma]

Well, whatever the cause was I'd stop using that container to store feed and I'd toss those pellets. Chickens are very sensitive to mold and it can kill them quickly so even if you don't see any I wouldn't take the chance over a $12 or so bag of feed.

 

[Smoky73]

well, I have two comments to make, one is that when my cooler is sitting outside, and it rains, it does fill up with water, regardless if the lid is closed or not.

The second I wish to make is that as one person mentioned a metal trashcan, it will not help if its outside exposed to elements. I bought a metal trashcan to store chicken feed in my coop to keep mice out, works great! However, we have an issue with our goat feed and the lids to the plastic trashcans keep coming off and the feed getting rained on. So I bought another metal trash can for the goats feed. It molded within days of putting it out there even thought he lid fits TIGHT. It s the condensation fromt he surface heating up is my only guess.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I have two metal trashcans and it's plenty hot and humid here. No issues.
One thing is if you get a metal trashcan that has a lid with a handle poked through the top you have to silicone around where the lid connects (hold it up to the daylight and you can see through the holes). One of mine is like that, the one is not.
My lids aren't airtight though, maybe it allows enough air exchange while still keeping the rain out? I dunno

 

[bfcerny]

Quote:
After reading this...I would assume this is the answer tot he mystery. I did wash it out (in fact filled it completely full) a few hours before i put the feed in. I did let it dry out, but the cooler is probably 15 years old and may have a crack that is invisible to the eye. Very good point! Thanks!