The most important thing with animal feed is storing it correctly. You need to do it all the time to ensure it is safe for animals to consume. There are a couple of additional things to think about when you store it in winter too. We want to look at that today, so read on for some useful tips.
Hay
You will likely be relying on bales of hay for the season because fields won’t be very good for grazing. However, you need to make sure you take care to ensure there aren’t issues like mould, mildew, and pests.
The best thing to do is ensure you start off with hay that has been properly cured. Make sure the bales are wrapped correctly too. This will protect them from moisture and pests.
When it comes to storage, you should stack hay bales carefully. Don’t leave any on the ground, especially if it gets wet. The best thing to do is use pallets to elevate them and allow air to get underneath. You also want to leave space around the stacks for air circulation. The goal is to ensure you avoid spoilage.
Grain and feed
Hay alone might not be enough to ensure your animals get all the nutrients they need in winter. You may also have to feed them grain and even complete pellet animal feed or supplements.
Storage is crucial here, again to avoid issues with mould, mildew, and pests. Typically, you get grain and other feeds in bags. You need to keep the same tips in mind that we spoke about above. Most importantly, don’t leave the bags on the wet cold ground and ensure you allow air to circulate around them.
In addition, you need to keep in mind that when you open a bag, you are opening the floodgates for issues. What you should never do is leave the feed in an opened bag. Instead, it is much better to transfer it to a waterproof container with a secure lid such as a plastic bin or barrel. Keep these containers in a safe, dry location. Make sure there are no leaking pipes or anything.
Another crucial thing to keep in mind is you need to clean your containers periodically. It is always tempting to open a new bag and top up each one. However, that can leave older feed at the bottom and can lead to issues. You should work through the whole container, clean it thoroughly, then deposit new feed.
Pests
Elevating bales and bags of feed and using containers can help to tackle pests. However, it is not 100% effective. Sadly, they can always seem to find a way in with enough time. So, you should use deterrents like traps and pesticide to tackle them. Just make sure you are extremely careful with any poisons or toxins; you don’t want them to get into the feeds.
Do you need any animal feed this winter?
A lot of farmers will already have their supplies to see them through the winter months. Good storage will ensure they are more likely to last the season too. If you do need to order any extra supplies though, JS Hubbuck Ltd can help. We have been dealing with feeds, fertiliser and more for years. So, we can give our clients high quality products at all times.
If you want to place an order, please contact us.