Howdy all you knowledgable folks. My local feed store has a good price on name brand layer feed. I want to buy a bunch and store it. I have a rodent proof place to keep it in the original bags. Will it go "bad" or loose nutritional value? I'm a firm believer that the "use by" dates on most of the food we buy is just in the hopes that you will throw out perfectly good food and go buy more! Hard for me to believe that the can of whatever was good today, bad tomorrow. Thanks for your opinions.... Joe
It does start to lose nutritional value over time. We have a large layer barn here and I order six tons at a time which last us about three weeks. I start to see small decreases in total egg mass towards the end of those three weeks. As soon as I order a fresh batch of feed I see an increase in egg weights. It surprises me that I even see this effect in the winter. The feed is stored outside in a feed silo and is frozen all winter, yet I still see a difference in nutritional value in just three weeks. Does that mean it has a shelf life? Not really. While it does lose nutritional value it is still has a value as feed after any period of time, just slightly less of a value. I wouldn't go out and throw out bags that are over a month old or refuse to feed the odd forgotten bag that's been laying around for six months, but no it won't be exactly the same as fresh feed.
I personally wouldn't store feed over the summer for more than 2 months in my garage (insulated). In the winter I wouldn't store it more than about 3 months. And this is in a metal garbage can or plastic bin, off the ground. Whole grains are a different matter- they store much longer. I am talking about cracked feed. Once I stored for 4 months some layer feed in the garage in a plastic bin over the summer. Ugh. It stank. The milled feed really doesn't keep.
