Storing feed, step by step
Interactive lesson: keep grain, compound feed and hay free of mould, rodents and fire: grain moisture, mycotoxins, containers, the hay barn and a stock record.
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The whole lesson as text
1. Where feed gets lost
On a smallholding, feed is most often lost not in the field but in the granary, the hay barn and the sack.
- Moisture — Moisture brings mould, lumps, heating and sprouting. Dry grain, a dry floor, pallets and ventilation prevent it.
- Sacks on the floor — Sacks on concrete against a wall soak up damp and attract mice. Nothing stands on concrete or bare soil.
- Rodents — Mice and rats eat and foul feed and spread leptospirosis and salmonella. A rat chews through a sack or thin plastic overnight.
- Birds — Birds steal and foul feed from an open bin. Closed doors, mesh on windows and lids keep them out.
Why: Feed that spoils is paid for twice: once when you buy it, again when you throw it away or it harms an animal. Worst of all is what you can't see: mycotoxins from mouldy grain and hay.
- Heat speeds up insects and makes fats go rancid: keep the store cool, shaded, on the north side.
- Ground grain and home mix last 3–4 weeks, whole dry grain for months.
2. Grain moisture
Moulds and insects can't work in dry grain, so moisture is the most important number in the store.
- Moisture meter — Grain for storing: no more than 13–14 % moisture. Test it with a moisture meter before you put it away.
- Salt test — Put a handful of grain in a dry jar with a little salt, close it and shake. If after 15–30 minutes the salt sticks to the glass, the grain is too damp.
- Grain in the hand — Dry wheat cracks between the teeth and doesn't squash. Dry maize is hard and rattles in the hand.
- Hay — Hay in small bales: roughly 15 % moisture at baling. A handful doesn't feel damp and the stems snap.
Why: Wheat, barley, oats, maize and peas are safe at up to 13–14 % moisture. Ground grain and compound feed take up moisture faster, so keep them closed and only for a short time.
- You can borrow a grain moisture meter from a neighbour or a farmers' co-op, and many mills and grain merchants test moisture free or for a small charge.
- The salt test is a rough check, not a measurement.
3. Mould and mycotoxins · Locked
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4. Containers and pallets · Locked
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5. Hay without fire · Locked
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6. Rodents and stock record · Locked
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