Grain Storage Tips
- Think "cool, dry, and bug-free."
- Buy feed from a reputable dealer.
- Clean out your feed area weekly.
- Dump opened feed into bins with tight-fitting lids. Plastic trash cans are fine.
- Feed older feed before newer.
Storing horse grain improperly can lead to feeding spoiled horse grain, which can make your horse sick. And tossing out spoiled or molded horse grain will cost you extra money. With those concerns in mind, we asked three horse grain experts for advice about the best ways to store grain.
Our experts all agree that the primary considerations are keeping the grain-storage area clean, dry, and free of varmints, and that a cool, dry spot with good ventilation is important. That quickly led to a discussion of whether dumping grain into feed bins (trash cans) or leaving it in the bag was best. All three agree that dumping the grain into clean, dry bins is generally preferred.
Dr. Karen Davison, equine technical services manager for Purina Mills clarifies that the decision really has to do with how quickly you use open sacks of feed. She said that if you are going to be using up the sack in a few days and you have a clean, dry feed room, it is fine to keep the grain in the sack.
She said that since concrete tends to "sweat" or accumulate moisture, unopened feed sacks should be stacked on pallets to keep them off the floor. Dr. Doug Donovan at Poulin Grain adds that keeping the unopened sacks on pallets not only allows for good air circulation, but you'll be able to see any little piles on the floor, thereby tipping you off that rodents are helping themselves to your grain.
Dr. Donovan explains that oxidation (a result of exposure to air and light) leads to a breakdown of nutrients in grain rations. So while you have to watch that sacked grain doesn't become moist and moldy, you also have to keep moisture out of the feed bins by using tight-fitting lids. Trash cans are a popular storage option, and Dr. Davison and Dr. Donovan both mention the possible problem of condensation on the lids of metal cans, so suggested plastic as a better choice. Plastic cans are inexpensive, can be washed easily, and hold between 50 and 100 pounds of grain.
Dr. Jason Shelton, innovation development manager at Cargill Animal Nutrition (Nutrena Feeds), emphasizes that using the "first in, first out" method helps assure that you are feeding the freshest grains. He emphasizes good management, such as sweeping the feed area weekly, cleaning up spills immediately, and removing any broken bags.
That leads to our question of whether some feeds need more care than others. The experts all say, "Yes." Special care should be taken with sweet feeds, higher fat feeds, or higher moisture feeds. The concern is that mold will form, fat will become rancid, or that insects will infest the feed.
Dr. Shelton points out that higher fat or higher moisture feeds have a shorter shelf life than lower fat or lower moisture feeds do. Pelleted feeds are processed at a higher temperature that usually includes a drying stage, so they normally have lower moisture levels than textured feeds. Climate plays a role, though. During cooler months or in dry locations, storage time may increase, but Dr. Shelton says 30 days is a good time frame.
Dr. Davison's basic rule is 6 to 8 weeks for sweet feeds, and up to 8 to 12 weeks for pelleted feeds. She said that she looks at the manufacture date. She wouldn't be concerned about buying a pelleted feed that was a month old if she was going to feed it within a month. But if a sweet feed was already a month old when she bought it, she'd want to feed it within a few weeks to be on the safe side. She'd allow the longer time in a cool, dry climate.
Dr. Donovan recommends a horse owner buy only a week's supply at a time, though he says that many feed companies suggest keeping no more than a month's supply.
