Feed dates -- how old is too old?

[debid]

I bought a bag of feed today with a March 22 date stamp. This made me very happy. But, I couldn't use my coupon for $2 off Purina because there wasn't a sack fresher than Feb 02 and I'd rather not buy feed going on two months old if I can avoid it. They actually had some from AUGUST still on the shelf. I could see that the problem is restocking new on top of old (there were bags from February directly underneath the one I grabbed). It made me wonder, though. Does feed expire? Is there a date where the fats will go rancid in spite of being bagged in plastic and sitting in a temperature-controlled store? If someone buys that August chick feed (shudder), could their chicks actually get sick or is it preserved somehow and not that big of a deal?

 

[lazy gardener]

If you talk to a feed store employee, they will tell you it's good for 6 months. If you talk to a published poultry nutrition expert, he will tell you that 6 weeks is the outer limit. I like to be able to use a bag of feed within that 6 week window.

 

[casportpony]

I bought a bag of feed today with a March 22 date stamp. This made me very happy. But, I couldn't use my coupon for $2 off Purina because there wasn't a sack fresher than Feb 02 and I'd rather not buy feed going on two months old if I can avoid it. They actually had some from AUGUST still on the shelf. I could see that the problem is restocking new on top of old (there were bags from February directly underneath the one I grabbed). It made me wonder, though. Does feed expire? Is there a date where the fats will go rancid in spite of being bagged in plastic and sitting in a temperature-controlled store? If someone buys that August chick feed (shudder), could their chicks actually get sick or is it preserved somehow and not that big of a deal?

Were you at a Tractor Supply? Their inability to stock fresh products is one of the reasons I stopped shopping there.

 

[debid]

Were you at a Tractor Supply? Their inability to stock fresh products is one of the reasons I stopped shopping there.

Yes. I should probably tag @byclover2. Old Hickory, TN. The August feed was Start & Grow unmedicated. I'd expect they're a pretty high volume store but if they make a habit of just tossing new stock on top, that would explain old product hanging around.

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: IMO, it is a very big deal. Rancid feed is essentially filler. Might as well be giving them sawdust. No matter what store I go in, I check mill dates before buying.

Quote: Any manager worth his pay would see to it that does not happen.

 

[byclover2]

Yes. I should probably tag @byclover2 . Old Hickory, TN. The August feed was Start & Grow unmedicated. I'd expect they're a pretty high volume store but if they make a habit of just tossing new stock on top, that would explain old product hanging around.

Thanks for tagging -- it sounds like they are not following procedures in rotating feed, and we'll reach out to them.

Poultry manufacturer recommendations for shelf life say 2 months up to 4 months is totally fine. If you're in a humid or very wet climate, you might check for any signs of mold, etc.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I only have 5 hens so I look for feed that my girls can consume within 4 months of date on bag. I have 2 six gallon galvanized containers in the storage area of my coop. One for feed, one for scratch grains. They hold 25 pounds of feed/scratch. When empty, I wipe with a paper towel and refill. The half a bag has the air squeezed out and secured with a bag clip,

and stored in the coolest room in my house away from sunlight, not the basement, till the container in the coop is empty. I have not had a problem with feed up to 4 months old. Because I only have 5 hens, using feed within 5 weeks of mill date ain't gonna happen. My girls are happy and healthy 1 year olds and I get 32/35 eggs a week. GC