# Buying feed by the ton? Storing feed.



## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

At the grain mill about 45 mins away they sell some good grain for $10 a bag.
It is $400 a ton with 10-25% off per ton. I am not sure exactly what the discount is but I know it is at least 10%.

Would it be okay to buy feed by the ton?
The grain is usually all the same year or if you buy in the spring it was bagged late fall.
I will be feeding 4 dairy goats 2 pounds a day and that ends up to be around $50 a month.
I will be spending 500-$600 in feed...feeding some growing kids as well. from Feb to Dec is what my math is based on.

Would it be okay to buy a ton of feed in the spring and use that until fall?
Would it store good? Or is it better to buy it 5 bags at a time when we go there (sometimes once a month sometimes 2)?

I talked to a guy from agway and he said that it has molasses in it (duh) and should only buy what you can use in 3-4 weeks.
I am puzzled at this because the grain is usually a month old or more when you buy it.
Its not like it was bagged the same day or anything.
If I mimicked how they store feed at the mill (bagged on pallets inside) and agway wouldn't it store the same?

I am just thinking if I have a grain supply I wouldn't have to go to go to the feed store as often and wouldn't have to worry about running out and waiting 2-3 days before the stores are open (happened 3 times...not knowing it was a holiday).

If I can't store up I will have to plan things out better so I have a little more than what I would use in a month.


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## Iwantgoats (Oct 3, 2008)

If there is any moisture in the feed it will mold. Were I use to work we made and sold feed by the ton. After going through the pellet machine it went through a dryer and then into a grain bin and then dried some more but on occasion the feed would still mold in the grain bin. 
The molasses will mold once opened up and exposed to the air creating moisture. Unless you have a way to keep it dry I would suggest just buying what you can use in a month.


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## ptgoats45 (Nov 28, 2011)

I buy feed in bulk, but usually only buy enough to feed each month. I have had it last longer with no ill effects. We usually have molasses in the feed to keep the dust down and haven't had it mold. We store it in an open feed bunk inside our shop. It can't get wet and nothing else can get into it while it is there. Where I buy feed you can buy as much as you want in bulk. You don't have to buy at least 1 ton, or anything like that. All feed stores are different though, so you would have to check. Maybe they would let you buy 500 lbs for the bulk price? That way you would have enough to last a month or so and get it at the better price.


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## MissMM (Oct 22, 2007)

can you buy feed by the 100lb bag instead? I switched to that & saved $2.50 per 100 lbs of feed. I thought of buying by the ton too, but the risk of mold or spoilage from rodents, pigeon poo, etc., turned me off of it. Loosing near to a ton of feed for whatever reason would stink.


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

IMO I wouldn't buy that much especially in the warmer months. I'd be too afraid of mold. We have switched back to buying ours from the feed mill we used to buy from <used them for a year, switched to local had bad experience so we switched back>. We also drive 45 minutes one way, we only have the goats, and have no other business near/around the feed store...
We try to buy enough for 3-4 weeks. I currently don't use my freezer inside the house, so next time I am hoping we get at least 2 extra bags we can sit inside it>.

The feed store told me in warm months don't ever buy more than what you can use in a 3 week period, 4 weeks tops.

If you had a lot of animals and would go through the ton of feed quick, then it would be worth it, otherwise I look at it like this, is the savings more than a vet bill?


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## Breezy-Trail (Sep 16, 2011)

No, they only have 50 pound bags.
I will just have to plan ahead. We sometimes go every 2 weeks and sometimes 6 weeks.
It really depends. I can just buy a month supply and try to get back to the mill before I run out.
We have another mill about 15 miles from us, but I don't like their grain.
They have almost nothing geared towards horses or goats and they don't have the exact protein it says on the bag.
i.e. the broilers grew to 4-7 pound with the same amount of time and feed as my friend who used the other mill (they grew up to 9 pounds)

I wouldn't want to take a risk of it molding or going to waste.
I was just curious as to how the mill does it. They must keep it as corn and oats etc and make a batch with molasses every month?


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## klingshirnm (Mar 3, 2011)

I have started making my own feed(have a farm and a grinder/mixer at my disposal), and havent had a problem yet, unlike problems i encountered with commercial feeds. I try to make enough for 2 months time and my goats actually seem to like it better towards the end of the batch. I got a mixing recipe from a friend(we actually mix the feed together) and love it. I know some feed mills have feed sitting bagged on pallets for sometimes 3 months or more. Plus, think about commercial feeds, not only do they need to be made, but also shipped and then sold. You can't honestly tell me that feed is always less than a month old. I feel if you have the money and a cool dry place to store enough feed for a few months time go for it. But, the feed needs to come from a good mill that uses good storage to store the ingredients. This is just my experience and my $.02.


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## mrs. lam (Apr 20, 2010)

I buy mine from my local feed mill and use it for everybody. I use 55 gal drums and they fill them up. They hold just over 300lbs and it costs me $40. Love it. Mine doesn't have mollasses in it so I don't worry about spoilage. He will give me a "goat" pack to mix in for the goats. (it has the copper) that way I can feed everybody and not worry about my sheep. It has corn pellets, soy pellets and one more thing but I forget what it was. Everyone loves it! Even my picky mule. :greengrin: 

Gina


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## Crowbar032 (Dec 6, 2011)

A non-working chest type freezer works really well to store feed in too.


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## freedomstarfarm (Mar 25, 2011)

if it has molasses then I would not get more than a month maybe two amount up front. If it is a dry feed without molasses and you have a dry moderate temp area and container that is metal and rodent proof then it may be ok.


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## ItchingDuck (Jan 21, 2012)

Just my 2 cents....
We buy in bulk prices but our mill has no minimum amount requirements. we pay 18 cents per pound and mix corn/oats and 25% soybean meal. It's sufficient for horses, pigs, goats, and chickens. No molasses, no mold. Cheap yet I was told nutritionally healthy for them all. This enables us to afford our vast array if livestock much better. Our 4 goats cost us much less this way.


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## Guest (Jan 22, 2012)

I have a flat bed trailer that I strapped a 500 gal fuel barrel onto, I cut a 30" opening the full length of the barrel, I use a silver tarp to cover it with. That how I bring home my DDG 3000lb at a time, it lasts me 6-8 weeks. I don't spend the money on premixes, sweet feed is way over priced for what you get. I would think that even if you buy sweet feed that as long as it is stored properly you should be able to buy it by the ton. Most bags of feed are store able for long periods it not subjected to extreme heat.


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