We've found some deals on bulk feed, but short of getting a bunch of garbage cans or barrels, we're not sure how we should store it.

One thought was that since we have hills and we have a trailer with a dump is that we could build something on a hill that we could dump into.

Any ideas?

-- Paul Wheaton (paul@javaranch.com), November 10, 2001

Answers

whatever you use,, keep it mouse tight,, alot of 5 gal buckets?, have heard of old cargo trailers,, with tight doors, steel garbage cans work well,, just keep it mouse free, and dry

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), November 10, 2001.

You can build a small room in the barn and put the fee in there .I would line the bottom with flashing to help keep mice out .Add a couple of barn cats and you are all set .

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), November 10, 2001.

Old chest type freezers with tight seals work great for small loads.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), November 10, 2001.

A metal stock tank with a homemade plywood cover you can open and shut is nice for small amounts. A 100 gallon tank will hold about 500 pounds of grain, 150 gallon tank about 800, etc. You don't even need a fancy cover, just a piece of plywood about the right size will work if it's just temporary.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), November 10, 2001.

We get our grain custom mixed,minimim 1000 pounds at a time. We have always stored it in 55 gallon steel drums.These were obtained used from a food processor, held apple juice, so were non toxic.$7.00 a piece at the time. Keeps the grain rodent proof and dry, another concern with storage. A few mice in your grain is far safer than moldy feed.

-- Kate henderson (kate@sheepyvalley.com), November 11, 2001.

O.K. Kate how many drums does it take for 1000 pounds of feed ?

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), November 11, 2001.

We got our 55 gallon barrels from Mckee's(little Debbie's snack cakes) and they are heavy duty plastic. They will hold about 300 pounds a piece. Ours had to have the tops cut off to make them work, so you will have to make a wooden cover or something. We have them on an inclosed porch and haven't had any trouble with mice or mold so far. Had them since May and paid 2 dollars a piece for them. My husband works at a feed mill and gets all of the busted bags either free or cheap.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), November 12, 2001.

We get 1100lbs at a time and put the grain in 55 Gal drums with plastic liners inside. I cover the ones I am not using yet with plastic drum liners. It takes 4 Drums for 1100 lbs and of course 8 for a ton of grain. We never had a problem with mice or moister. The only problem I had is when my Donkey some how got in the feed storage part of the barn and decided to chow down. I bet you never heard of a donkey doing anything like that before have you?? (smile) hehehehe

-- Jeff (jeff@jeff.com), April 08, 2002.