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How to Store Animal Feed and Keep It Fresh

Tosed Farms

Oct 06, 2026

You can buy the best feed available and still lose its value in your own store. Heat, moisture and pests break down nutrients and encourage mould, and mouldy feed can make animals sick. Good storage costs very little and protects everything you have already paid for.

Keep bags off the floor and away from walls

Stack bags on wooden pallets, not directly on concrete, and leave a gap between the stack and the wall. This keeps moisture from seeping into the bottom bags and lets air move around the stack.

Choose a cool, dry, well ventilated store

A leaking roof or a damp corner will ruin feed quickly, especially in the rainy season. Keep the store shaded, dry and airy, and never leave bags standing in direct sun.

First in, first out

Always use the oldest bags first. Arrange new deliveries behind or beneath existing stock so older feed is not forgotten at the back.

Buy what you can use in good time

Compound feed does not improve with age. In our climate it is wise to plan purchases so that each bag is used within about three to four weeks. Buying a huge stock to save a trip often costs more in lost quality.

Keep pests out

Rodents and weevils eat feed and contaminate what they leave behind. Seal holes, keep the store tidy, sweep up spillage and close opened bags tightly.

Check before you feed

Look at and smell the feed every time you open a bag. Do not use feed that is caked, damp, discoloured or has a musty smell. Clean feeders regularly so old feed does not build up and spoil underneath fresh feed.

A few simple habits in the store mean your animals get the full value of every bag you buy.