Quality dairy cattle feed is necessary to keep the herd healthy and happy. Yet, rain, snow, dirt, rodents, and other contaminants can have a huge influence. Due to this, correct storage is essential. You need to know how to store animal feed effectively so it is safe to use. At the same time, you have to know what not to do. We’re going discuss the topic in more detail here to help you understand the importance.

The initial step in ensuring your cattle perform optimally is guaranteeing their feed is as nutrient dense and fresh as possible. If stored correctly, your feed won’t lose as many nutrients over time. You will also end up with less spoilage, which will lower feed cost and waste.

Proper nutrition

One reason why proper feed storage is important is animal nutrition. Dairy cattle are a vital part of the UK economy, providing products we rely on every day. As a result, giving them top quality feed is vital. Preserving the nutritional quality is necessary for the productivity and health of animals. Properly storing feeds can work to stop nutrient loss, degradation, and spoilage.

Food safety

Another reason you should be careful with animal feed is safety. As we all know, health concerns in your animals can result in lost income. To ensure you get the most from your cattle, and also keep their production consistent and high, you need to store feeds correctly. Suitable storage can work to stop the spread of disease and contamination across your herd. It does this by lowering the risk of exposure to mould, pests, and contaminants.

Waste reduction

Incorrect feed storage can result in pests, contamination, and spoilage. In each of these cases, you need to get rid of it. This can cost you a lot of money. Correct storage can aid in keeping your feeds in pristine condition, lowering waste. Such waste reduction works for your bottom line. It also lowers the environmental impact too.

Savings

Lastly, there’s the savings on bulk feed. Buying large quantities of feeds is a good method of saving on costs. Saying this, if you fail to store it properly and have to throw some away, it defeats the purpose. To get the most for your money, ensure you are storing products correctly.

Storage factors

Now, we’ll look at animal feed storage factors you should consider. The same strategy won’t work on every farm. Ask yourself questions like how many animals you have. The number dictates how much feed to keep on hand, as well as what containers you’ll need to use.

Another question is, how many different feeds do you use? If you have multiple feed types, you might need individual containers for each one.

Buying in bulk must be another consideration. If you order a lot of feed, you must ensure you can store it all effectively.

Finally, ask yourself what your climate is like. Feed storage can change between climates. The requirements for a humid, hot area won’t be the same as a dry, cold one.

Best storage practices

To end with, we’ll discuss the best practices for animal feed storage so you know what to do. Start by keeping everything in a dry, covered area. This will help stop exposure to heat, sunlight, and moisture.

Use rodent-proof barriers, insect screens, and regular pest control methods too for infestations. Just make sure you don’t use any pesticides because they could contaminate the feeds.

As for food containers, you need to keep them off the ground. This will help stop access by ground-dwelling creatures. Your containers must also be sturdy and airtight for freshness.

Your feed storage area needs to also stay clean to stop contaminants. Make sure you have a cleaning and maintenance schedule to manage it.

To guarantee that you use old feed before new ones, follow the “first in, first out” rule. Label your containers with the feed type, purchase date, and expiration date as well. Avoid mixing old and new feed to stop spoilage.

Last but not least, perform regular inspections of your feed. Check for contamination and any signs of issues.

Shop with us for animal feed

At JS Hubbuck Ltd, we have several feeds available for different animals. They are high quality, and will therefore keep your herds in top condition. Even better, we strive to offer some of the most competitive pricing around.

So, if you’d like to buy any animal feed from us, please get in touch. We can give you details, including nutritional information and storage advice.