Chicken feed.
It's not just for chickens! Coons like it, rats and mice like it, birds like it. How do I know? Well, my children when they were younger (they're mostly better now) used to drop it when feeding the chickens. They'd loose the scoop, grab something else to make do and make a mess. We store the food (Chicken, Rabbit, Dog) in trash cans but we wouldn't leave the lids on them, we wouldn't put the bag of feed in them and when the food fell around the base it wasn't easy to clean up. Maybe you know what I'm talking about?
A feedbag, left open for anything to get into it. At least the scoop was there this time.
Of course we had garbage cans, but they were a whole 4 feet away.
TIME TO FIX THE PROBLEM
I knew I'd have to work with the feeding crew to solve some of the problems, but I knew if I made it easier to move, fill and clean when they made a mess, that the job would get done more often.
Grab a few 2x4's and place your cans (with lids on) next to each and measure. Measure a little more than half way up and then add a couple of inches to your length and width. Put some cheap casters on it! If you have some old decking 5/4" board from a project like I do, you can use it. If not, use plywood or whatever you have available.
*All ready to ROLL! Like, literally. Now if food fell, we'd roll it and sweep it immediately."
The cans all in place with lids in place... and a scoop for each can. (not pictured)
We penciled in the feed type that went into each container and eventually used a sharpie to not it.
SINCE THE BUILD
Since the build we added hooks for the feed scoops and chains on the lids.
It's a lot easier to clean and they can roll the feed barge over to the feed and not have to carry it as far. It works for us.
GROW WHERE YOU ARE
What have you done for storing your feed to make it easier to handle and clean? How do you keep unwanted critters out?
Tell me in the comments!
If you have found this post to be informative, creative, original or just entertaining, please give it an upvote, a resteem, follow me and comment below. I'm here to create original content and to build community. How about you?
That's a great idea! We use the huge Rubbermaid bins with lids. Dog food, cat food, and bird seed all fit under the counter in our laundry room, so no pest issues. Chicken feed is in the barn next to the coop door, also in a Rubbermaid bin, with a weighted box on top. So far it's been effective for keeping critters out. The snake living in our barn probably helps too, with the mice at least! :)
I'm getting ready to build a new chicken coop here at the new homestead (TMH Farm - The Modern Homestead Farm) so I'll take another stab at storage.
Nice idea especially to help with clean up. Do you store the whole feed bag in the can or do you empty them into the containers? Do you label the containers or color code them in any way?
They are labeled on the wood next to the container.
Great idea! We have plastic bins at the moment but are moving to metal soon. Its good to see a way to make them mobile!
Good idea. I like it.