Stored improperly, chicken feed can quickly go rancid. Moisture encourages mold growth which then produces mycotoxins which give off-flavor to the feed and poison your poultry.
Rodents often enjoy chewing into feed bins, creating havoc with your stash. Insulated bins can reduce condensation caused by temperature swings and keep moisture at bay.
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Drums and Trash Cans
One of the most frequent mistakes people make when it comes to feeding their birds is leaving their food stored in an open drum or container without protecting it against moisture and rodents. Moisture is particularly detrimental, as it allows fungi to thrive and ruin mixed chicken feeds over time. When they start going bad, fats oxidize and rancidify, giving it an unpleasant odor and taste which will drive birds away and stunt their development in turn.
To avoid this from occurring, food-grade steel barrels with porcelain liners or food-safe paint lining are the optimal containers to use for storage of pet feed. Plastic or “Polly” barrels also make excellent storage solutions as they will not react with your feed; additionally stackable containers take up less space while still keeping feed out of reach from mice and rats.
Steel Barrel
Even though most bagged feeds typically last six months from purchase date, they can quickly spoil and smell if improperly stored. Mold growth in poultry feed is unavoidable as small bits of spoiled feed often find their way back into milling process and into storage systems; however, excessive levels of fungi could render your birds’ diet unpalatable leading to reduced consumption or ration avoidance altogether.
Storage of feed requires an airtight and pest-proof container – such as metal trash cans, plastic storage totes or galvanized metal cans are suitable. They should also be kept out of direct sunlight to avoid mycotoxins (toxic substances that harm chickens) forming. You can purchase airtight and pestproof food storage vaults known as vittle vaults at some hardware stores as an additional solution – these may cost a bit more but come in various sizes that work just as effectively – they may even come equipped with airtight seals!
Plastic or “Polly” Barrel
If you need to store large amounts of poultry feed, barrels offer an effective storage option. Made of plastic or steel with food-grade liners that prevent the feed from reacting with the container itself, barrels provide safe food-grade storage that won’t deteriorate over time. They don’t withstand light as effectively and may hold less grain.
Make sure your barrels are raised so that rodents cannot chew into and contaminate your feeds, and store your feeds away from direct sunlight, as sun exposure accelerates spoilage. Also ensure that they’re stored dry as moisture encourages fungal growth that breaks down pelleted feed into mush, leading to feed loss and spoilage and an unpleasant odour resulting in stunted flock growth and weight gain.
Bags
Bags of feed may be suitable for small flocks; however, metal containers provide the best storage. Excess humidity during packaging or storage must be avoided to reduce spoilage and fungal growth; moldy or rancid feed has an unpleasant odor and taste which often discourages chickens from eating it; furthermore it contains toxins which could compromise growth.
Store your feed near your chicken coop at your own peril! Not only will this bring in predators such as raccoons that love egg- and chicken-loving predators like raccoons, but your birds may peck through and spill the bag or poop all over it, potentially losing vitamins as it becomes wet or moldy. Therefore, it is recommended to store it somewhere cool such as a shed or barn that avoids damp floors such as concrete for optimal conditions.
