Part 0800.0005

[Cyber Chook]

I thought I'd just come and say goodbye for the time being - I've given up chicken keeping for the time being, but one day I'll be back

 

I thought this might be interesting and hopefully useful to pass on. Some of you might remember I had awful problems with my young chickens who all stopped laying at around a year old. I tried absolutely everything but nothing worked. Then they began to get ill. One died and I had two put to sleep. They lost weight despite worming, vitamin supplements and TLC galore.

 

My local pet shop owner then told me something which, with hindsight, I believe was the cause of the problem. He said that keeping the chicken pellets in a metal dustbin often makes the pellets go off - the bin warms and cools, condensation forms inside the bin, and the pellets start to go mouldy. The pellets can then become toxic to the birds and cause digestive issues and even death.

 

I chucked out all my old food and started afresh with new pellets. The two remaining birds did indeed put on weight and looked much happier quite quickly.

 

Anyway, I hope this might help others who find they have similar problems. It might be worth a try.

 

All the best

 

Caroline

[Olly]

Really sorry to hear that you have had to give up chicken-keeping, but thanks for this tip.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I'm sorry to hear that too . I hope you do manage to keep chickens again one day.

 

Re the metal bins, is that even if the pellets are stored in their paper bag?

[BarbaraJ]

Funny you should say that about the food, my sack is kept by the back door and then mixed pellets, garlic and bokashi in a small bucket with lid in a metal bin for usually only 2 days BUT the few pellets that have fallen in the bin at the bottom when i used to keep the sack in there have gone mouldy

[Cyber Chook]

Yes, ANH, I used to put the paper sack into the metal bin. I began to notice that they weren't eating as much as they used to, and when I changed the pellets for fresh ones they took a few days before they seemed to trust them, but then tucked in and as I said, quickly improved.

 

Cx

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's worrying . What did you keep the pellets in instead?

 

Having said that, I've not noticed any signs of being unwell in my girls although 2 of them did stop laying at 2 years old .

[Cyber Chook]

I only bought a small bag instead of the usual big ?20kg sack, so it didn't hang around so long, and kept it in the shed which was quite dry.

[Madchook]

That is a worry - how do other people store feedstuff? I can't put anything in the shed because rats got in, I was going to buy one of those small metal sheds or plastic storage trunks this time as also need somewhere to keep bedding (rats tunnelled into my auboise bale!)- not sure if that would have the same problem with temp....

[sallyj]

I keep the hens pellets in a small plastic bin with a lid (very cheap from Wilkinsons) which happens to hold exactly 5kg which is the size of the pellets bag. As I only have 4 hens the pellets are only stored for a short time (about 2/3 weeks) and stay dry. I think the bins cost about £3. I also have another bin the same for the mixed corn.

[Egluntyne]

Sorry to hear that you are giving up chicken keeping.

 

Not sure I entirely agree with the advice about metal bins. I use them and have had no problems. My hens wolf their pellets down and are good layers.

 

I do keep them in a shaded spot though.

[Cooks]

I am buying two metal bins on sunday for this use but plan to keep them in the shed. I have plastic ones but felt that the metal would be rodent proof now that they are going outside in my new shed

[Chunkin]

Thank you for passing this info on!

 

I use a metal bin, in my chicken shed, and put the bag of food inside. It doesn't last long really but I will definitely be keeping a closer eye on it now.

 

Hope you get to have chickens again one day and are not so unlucky second time around.

 

Best wishes

[Cyber Chook]

Thank you Chunkin, yes, I'd like to keep them again one day.

 

Having seen such a dramatic improvement in my remaining girls, and having tried for several months to find out what was wrong, I do believe that in our case the metal bin was the problem, but not necessarily for everyone. I wouldn't like to give out advice as such, not being an experienced chook keeper, it was more of a thought to raise really.

My metal bin was also in the shade.

 

Buying a big 20kg sack of pellets didn't help, I now think, because by the time we got down to the bottom of it they'd started going off.

Edited March 22, 2010 by Guest

[genericjanedoe]

I've got to say I find the advice about metal bins quite worrying.

 

Our columbine Hetty has been withdrawn for the last two or three days. She just sits in the nesting box and has stopped mixing with the others. I've been trying to narrow down what could be wrong.

 

I've done my best to check for mites and was about to start on flubenvet next. But we also keep our feed in a big metal dustbin in the shed and I'm wondering if its stale food? The girls are all free range - so they really don't eat much of the pellets we put out. They tend to grub about the garden and get occasional treats of dried and fresh corn. But once the new Cube and run arrives, they'll be spending most of their time in there, and will rely more on the pellets for food.

 

I'm still a relative newbie (got my hens at the end of summer last year) - how long do you suggest we keep food for?

[miller30]

Hi i store my food in a metal dustbin and have been doing this for years with no problem i put a big black sack inside the bin and then tip the sack of food into it and then roll the top round and secure it with a peg and then place the lid on my pellets have never gone mouldy leanne.

[Groovychook]

Best wishes to you Caroline

 

Hope you get back into chicken keeping sometime- shall miss the very cute pics of Molly whenever you post!

[chickencam]

We keep our in a metal bin, but the lid does have a tiny hole in the top because we used to use the bin to collect rainwater pre-chooks with the lid upside down on the top to channel the water. The bin is in our summer house.

 

We did have problems finding long dated food when we first got our girls and had one lot of stale pellets. We always check dates carefully and buy little and often, with no further problems. We now have 7 hens so a 25kg bag lasts about 4 weeks.

[Olly]

I use a plastic dustbin, my garage is VERY damp with condensation, but I haven't noticed the pellets getting damp. It probably depends where you keep the bin - whether plastic or metal - and how long you keep the pellets for. It's something to be aware of.

 

I buy 20kg bags and at the moment they are only lasting about a month, the little blighters are eating for England! I wouldn't mind but 2 are still freeloading - bring on those eggs!

[The Dogmother]

We did have problems finding long dated food when we first got our girls and had one lot of stale pellets. We always check dates carefully and buy little and often, with no further problems. We now have 7 hens so a 25kg bag lasts about 4 weeks.

 

Yes, always check the date carefully - a friend was telling me at the weekend, that they'd been to a local Countrywide to get some feed, only to find that all their Smallholder pellets were out of date!

[tom123]

I keep all my feed in metal bins, chicken feed, horse feed, dog feed, and have never had any problems *touch wood* but that is an interesting theory

[MedusA]

I buy 20kg bags and at the moment they are only lasting about a month, the little blighters are eating for England! I wouldn't mind but 2 are still freeloading - bring on those eggs!

 

I keep my 20kg sacks of Ex-Batts pellets in a metal dustbin in an outbuilding and have never (to date) had any problems with them going off. Like Olly I am keeping loads of freeloaders at the moment. Out of 6 hens I have only 2 laying, 1 "retired", 1 in the broody cage, 1 moulting and 1 just bone idle!

[Sandychick]

Interesting point about metal dustbins - for anyone worried, I think lining the inside with cardboard, then a plastic bin bag over that would work. It would certainly protect the feed from any condensation. I wouldn't get rid of my bin as I like something rat proof just in case I get any nibblers in the shed!

[JS1]

I keep the 20kg sack in a large pet food container in the downstairs bathroom - not very attractive but keeps it fresh - similar to this one http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=325&pf_id=52522

My six get through about a bag a month.

[FruitandNutCake]

I had my bags of pellets and corn in their bags inside their bags still, inside metal bins in the shed before christmas. However, the last time I bought fresh bags ( my 5 go through at 20Kg bag a month) I couldn't be bothered to trek through the snow and mud, so left them in my hallway, in-doors.

 

This weekend, I ventured to the shed, and the few bits of fallen corn and pellets at the bottom of the metal bins were very mouldy. I will definitely start lining the metal bins with plastic bags - just to be safe.

[Christian]

I keep mine loose in a plastic bin in the shed. Luckily, the shed is rodent proof *touches wood furiously* and haven't had a problem with pellets going off.

 

I do check the dates very carefully as the vitamins in the pellets have a short shelf life. 2 months max I have found.

 

My 4 are going through a sack every 4-5 weeks at the moment. Always seem to be filling up the feeders. Runs are on slabs, so pretty sure there aren't any nocturnal visitors getting in.