feed storage ideas

[Anonymous]

My herd seems to be at that akward size that requires me to buy feed in bags by the ton. I do not use it fast enough to use up the minimum 2 ton delivery before it could go bad I am told. So my question, how do you store larger amounts of feed if you don't have an outside bin? I thought about 55 gal barrels, but that would take alot of barrels (and room). Anything else?

 

[Anonymous]

We used to use the 55 gal plastic barrels that have the lid that fastens with a ring. They held around 250-300 lbs each depending on what we had in them. They can be left outside until you need to bring them in to start feeding out of. Being air tight they also keep the bugs out and the stuff from going sour.

dun

> My herd seems to be at that akward
> size that requires me to buy feed
> in bags by the ton. I do not use
> it fast enough to use up the
> minimum 2 ton delivery before it
> could go bad I am told. So my
> question, how do you store larger
> amounts of feed if you don't have
> an outside bin? I thought about 55
> gal barrels, but that would take
> alot of barrels (and room).
> Anything else?

 

[Anonymous]

> We used to use the 55 gal plastic
> barrels that have the lid that
> fastens with a ring. They held
> around 250-300 lbs each depending
> on what we had in them. They can
> be left outside until you need to
> bring them in to start feeding out
> of. Being air tight they also keep
> the bugs out and the stuff from
> going sour.

> dun

I've used the 55 gal. metal drums (that had not had hazardous chemicals in them) with the lids for storing cotton seed and they worked really well (also work great for storing range cubes, milo for the doves & quail, etc.). Another thing I've tried is to build a rectangular box frame out of 2 x 4's or maybe 4x4's. Then get some cheap tin or very thin sheet metal and completely box it in on all sides and the bottom, and make a top the same way. If properly done this will keep your feed, cubes, cotton seed, etc. high and dry and the mice and rats can't get into it. You might get some ants or weevils but that's not too bad. Anyway, this sort of large metal box can be made pretty cheaply and will pay dividends for a long time.

I've also seen people cut holes out and then weld open & shut lids on very large old butane tanks. I'm thinking of having this done on a tank I have that probably has at least a 500 gallon capacity. But to do this takes EXTREME caution, and a welder & cutting torch man (or woman, to be PC) who knows all the safety rules for cutting & welding on such a tank. One thing is for certain, such a tank will last more than our lifetime.

 

[Anonymous]

does it have to be delivered? we pick ours up ourselves.

 

[Anonymous]

Speaking of bulk range cube prices, what are the prices for ranges where you are at?

I haven't purchased any in bulk lately, but buying them by the bag, I'm paying $200 a ton ($5 a bag) for 20% range cubes. This is in the Central Texas, Waco area.

--------------------------

> My herd seems to be at that akward
> size that requires me to buy feed
> in bags by the ton. I do not use
> it fast enough to use up the
> minimum 2 ton delivery before it
> could go bad I am told. So my
> question, how do you store larger
> amounts of feed if you don't have
> an outside bin? I thought about 55
> gal barrels, but that would take
> alot of barrels (and room).
> Anything else?

 

[Anonymous]

> My herd seems to be at that akward
> size that requires me to buy feed
> in bags by the ton. I do not use
> it fast enough to use up the
> minimum 2 ton delivery before it
> could go bad I am told. So my
> question, how do you store larger
> amounts of feed if you don't have
> an outside bin? I thought about 55
> gal barrels, but that would take
> alot of barrels (and room).
> Anything else?

We use metal 55 gallon drums. Like dun said about the plastic ones, they hold 250-300 pounds each. We got barrels that previously had shortening in them from a local food manufacturing plant. These barrels came with lids, rubber gaskets, and a clamp that kept the feed dry and air tight and also kept the raccoons out! With any barrels, make sure you know what they were used for before you acquired them!

 

[Anonymous]

> Speaking of bulk range cube
> prices, what are the prices for
> ranges where you are at?

> I haven't purchased any in bulk
> lately, but buying them by the
> bag, I'm paying $200 a ton ($5 a
> bag) for 20% range cubes. This is
> in the Central Texas, Waco area.

> -------------------------- 200 a ton sounds pretty good. Not many places in east texas to get them at this price. Depending on the feed store they can run up to 6.00 a bag here. Now I add this at the risk of giving new life to an old debate that has been on this board before. Last fall a man in Crockett was selling 20%cubes for 135 a ton. You guessed it: chicken litter cubes. Lots of people fed them and had good luck. I think he is still in business in the Crockett area. Would be a little drive from Waco but if you had 2 or 3 people needing a ton it would probaly be worth the trip for the savings.



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[Anonymous]

Thanks for the ideas, hadn't actually thought about building my own box to store it in. I guess the plastic would be better for storage outside a building then bringing in.

Roy

> My herd seems to be at that akward
> size that requires me to buy feed
> in bags by the ton. I do not use
> it fast enough to use up the
> minimum 2 ton delivery before it
> could go bad I am told. So my
> question, how do you store larger
> amounts of feed if you don't have
> an outside bin? I thought about 55
> gal barrels, but that would take
> alot of barrels (and room).
> Anything else?

 

[Anonymous]

These days we're fortunate enough to have a tractor barn / shop that is coon proof (concrete floor). Of course, hardly any barn is rat or snake proof so we keep the poison out and a hoe handy. We take several tons at a time and make sure to stack it on pallets. If you stack directly on concrete the moisture becomes a problem. We haven't had much of a problem with the feed souring.

Before we had this building we used drums and old refrigerators or deep freezers. We'd lay them on their back if they were the upright type. Goes without saying but anybody doing this shouldn't forget to disable to latch for child safety.

I'd love to buy bulk and have one of those cake feeders that mounts across the top of a pickup bed and meters out cake or cubes. Boy, that would be nice. Just can't justify the $$$.

Craig-TX

 

[Anonymous]

something else i've seen is the use of old rail cars. i don't know where you could find them or the cost but maybe someone else here does?

 

[Anonymous]

That, and I've seen shipping containers used for all types of storage. They usually run $1,500 to $2,000 for a used one, around 40' long. Big enough to use for a tractor, tools, feed, etc. Just make sure the doors work OK.

Craig-TX

 

[Anonymous]

Anybody around Lebanon, MO that would like a couple of chest freezers let me know

> These days we're fortunate enough
> to have a tractor barn / shop that
> is coon proof (concrete floor). Of
> course, hardly any barn is rat or
> snake proof so we keep the poison
> out and a hoe handy. We take
> several tons at a time and make
> sure to stack it on pallets. If
> you stack directly on concrete the
> moisture becomes a problem. We
> haven't had much of a problem with
> the feed souring.

> Before we had this building we
> used drums and old refrigerators
> or deep freezers. We'd lay them on
> their back if they were the
> upright type. Goes without saying
> but anybody doing this shouldn't
> forget to disable to latch for
> child safety.

> I'd love to buy bulk and have one
> of those cake feeders that mounts
> across the top of a pickup bed and
> meters out cake or cubes. Boy,
> that would be nice. Just can't
> justify the $$$.

> Craig-TX

 

[Anonymous]

20% natural cubes are 164/ton in S. E. Kansas. Are you buying from a reseller or direct from a manufacturer?