Where/how do you store your feed?

[BallyFarm]

I bought mine from TSC and they seems to work really well. I leave them outside near my coop, so far I have no issues with rodents getting into my feed.

 

[aart]

I bought mine from TSC and they seems to work really well. I leave them outside near my coop, so far I have no issues with rodents getting into my feed.

What did you buy @BallyFarm ?

 

[BallyFarm]

It’s the heavy duty 100 pound plastic tubs with the snap on lids. I don’t recall what they are called specifically. @aart

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I use 5 gallon buckets from TSC with the Lids that fit perfectly snug. The buckets are bpa free and food safe, plus the feed is completely sealed up. It's definitely worth mentioning since I have psoriatic arthritis that flares up in my fingers, the lids can be difficult to remove when I'm having a flare. Also, if you have any fingernail length, opening these buckets will break nails (even though my nails are so thick and very difficult to break due to psoriasis). With the negatives mentioned, I still like that these buckets keep the feed safe from creepy crawlies, moisture, and mold. I try to watch for them going on sale and bulk up when they do.

 

[Kusanar]

I use 5 gallon buckets from TSC with the Lids that fit perfectly snug. The buckets are bpa free and food safe, plus the feed is completely sealed up. It's definitely worth mentioning since I have psoriatic arthritis that flares up in my fingers, the lids can be difficult to remove when I'm having a flare. Also, if you have any fingernail length, opening these buckets will break nails (even though my nails are so thick and very difficult to break due to psoriasis). With the negatives mentioned, I still like that these buckets keep the feed safe from creepy crawlies, moisture, and mold. I try to watch for them going on sale and bulk up when they do.

They do make 5 gallon bucket openers, I have never used one so I don't know how well they work, but they work like a bottle opener, they hook under the lip of the lid and pry it up. Might be something to look into.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

They do make 5 gallon bucket openers, I have never used one so I don't know how well they work, but they work like a bottle opener, they hook under the lip of the lid and pry it up. Might be something to look into.

I had no idea. Thank you so much! I'll definitely look into that.

 

[Manhen]

I paid $70 for a metal, locking truck box. Welded all around and a long hinge. I would use it for feed, but it is full of my vette's suspension parts....

 

[Flashpoint]

They do make 5 gallon bucket openers, I have never used one so I don't know how well they work, but they work like a bottle opener, they hook under the lip of the lid and pry it up. Might be something to look into.

I have 2 5 gal bucket openers and they work great - you can find them at several places. It certainly helps when my fingers stiffen up or my trigger finger decides to go off the rails. I think mine cost about $5.00 each. I keep one in the chicken shed and 1 inside with the other pet food.

I use 5 gal buckets for the dog food, cat food, ferret food (kept in the house), and extra chicken food for the roosters since they are currently in a bachelor pad. I just refill as needed.

I also have 4 of the tin trash cans. 1 holds 200 lbs of feed, 3 holds 150 lbs of feed, and the little one holds 100 lbs of feed. My 55 gal drum with a locking lid holds approx 300 lbs plus feed and a 30 gal heavy plastic drum with a locking lid holds (I think) 200 lbs of scratch. I have had no problems with mice getting in them or in my hanging 5 gal feed buckets.

Most of the chicken and turkey feed is kept in a feed room in the "chicken barn", but getting ready to put the plastic barrel and another tin trashcan in the camper that will eventually become a bird palace (haven't decided if turkey or chicken yet) next spring.

This week most all will be filled up or topped off - just in case the weather gets too bad for these old bones to go anywhere and should last a long(ish) time for my 18 hens, 8 turkeys, 3 ducks, and 8 roosters.

 

[Peepsi]

I use a small plastic trash can in the garage.

One of my chicken books (by Gail Damerow), said that you should never use metal bins, because they can sweat and make your feed go moldy faster. I'm sure that's based on a variety of factors that not everyone has to worry about.

However, I *am* surprised by all the people who say they have mice! While I'm sure we must have mice somewhere, I've never seen one or even seen signs of one. No chewing, no droppings, no tiny foot prints, nothing.

I guess that is attributed to several factors:
1) I live in a desert with very little vegetation. It's mostly sand and rocks out here.

2) My husband and I are neat freaks. We keep things clean and uncluttered.

3) Almost our entire state has a no-kill policy with cats and in this area, they have a TNR problem, where they fix feral cats and let them roam free. I hate this program, but I must admit, we have no mice, partially because of it.

4) My chicken coop and run is fully enclosed with half-inch hardware cloth....top, bottom, sides, 100% of it. There is no way for a full-grown mouse or rat to get in (I suppose a small baby mouse could squeeze through the 1/2 hardware cloth), so they aren't attracted to it, because if there are mice out there, they certainly haven't been alerted to my coop yet.

Anyway, yeah. Because we do not have mice at all, we can keep our feed in the garage in a plastic trash can. (although in the summer, I might keep it inside the house so it doesn't go stale too fast).

 

[ckn-hrtd]

We keep our bought food in trash cans, but we have good luck getting gleaned corn and spills. Usually too much to do anything but bag it. And then the squirrels have a hey-day. So we're keeping several bags on the front porch where the squirrels fear to tread - at least for the moment.
"Road-kill" pumpkins, watermelons and cantaloupes just get tossed in their yard.