how do you read the dates on feed bags

[TooCheep]

this is true. But unlike water and salt, it matters very much for ultra-processed animal feed, which does not meet the advertised nutritional values stated very clearly on the bag, after its Best before date.

I was half-way through writing a very long response as to why the BB date is poor in general and a fools errand for chicken feed when I decided that no one would likely read the whole thing and it was wasted effort.

Oversimplified version: The numbers on the feed bag will only be generally true at date of manufacture and there are way too many variables to define a real BB date, so where allowed, it is more accurate to simply state that these are the minimum numbers they deliver and when it was manufactured. The rest is up to the consumer.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

That is why our water bottles have best by dates- because water that has been around for millions of years will expire within a couple of years of being bottled.

I was always told the Best By date for water was moreso for the plastic surrounding the water, not the water itself

 

[TooCheep]

I was always told the Best By date for water was moreso for the plastic surrounding the water, not the water itself

Sorry, but that is wrong. It actually traces back to regulators in New Jersey who decided that water shouldn't be exempt from the original "best by" date regulations.

It wasn't even widely recognized until fairly recently that plastics were a problem or else we wouldn't be using almost 100% plastics for bottled water. Just FYI- BPA-free is fine, but there are other chemicals in plastics that are about as bad.

If you want to minimize exposure, then (a) use glass/stainless steel water containers wherever possible (b) use a high-quality filter for your water, ideally one that also filters out flouride (which lowers IQ) and (c) if you do use plastics, minimize agitation and keep as cool as possible.

PS- I just came back from the store where I decided to look at water and salt. The only water in glass containers were flavored waters so I understand them having BB dates. I checked the one form of salt that was in a glass container (Himalayan pink salt) and it is due to "expire" in 2029. Think about that- sitting under mountains for millions of years and they mine it out just 5 years before it will go bad.

 

[Perris]

it is more accurate to simply state that these are the minimum numbers they deliver and when it was manufactured. The rest is up to the consumer.

so that date should be expressed in a way that is easily understood by the consumer.

 

[aart]

so that date should be expressed in a way that is easily understood by the consumer.

Yeah, should doesn't always happen tho, does it?

Some MFG dates are easily deciphered, others not so much.
I once asked a farm store manager how long they could leave them on the shelf and I was told "6 months".

I once had a bag of fed that was 5-6 months old, birds didn't eat it as voraciously as they should, which I didn't really realize until the next bag was fresher and they chowed down on it.
Most what I get now is about 2 months old and it works out OK.
All depends on what you buy, where, and how closely it is reordered compared to how much is purchased. Over 10 year I've seen that vary.