Animals are not like people in that they tend to be less finicky about what they eat and how they do so. So long as the feed is available and edible, livestock tends to consume it readily. However, there are some common sense guidelines to livestock feed storage and dispersal that may help you considerably. The following are some of these good ideas.

Store Food in Metal

It is tempting to store animal feed in simple bags of grain or in wooden boxes. Since these storage methods tend to be cheap and easy, they are commonly practiced among less fastidious livestock keepers. However, there are a number of different reasons why this is not a good plan. For one thing, rodents have a much higher likelihood of infiltrating feed if it is not in a metal container than if it is. Since rodents have a very difficult time chewing into metal, they generally don't do so. Wood and fabric, on the other hand, are more like rodent appetizers than anything else. Thus, storing your feed in metal containers is the best option.

Store Feed High

Feed is like more kinds of food in that it can support a lot of different kinds of organisms. While most of those organisms are critters that make you money, mold and bacteria most likely will not do anything positive for you. Thus, you want to keep your feed above the ground, so condensation can drip away and water is less likely to accumulate within your feed storage container. By storing your container full of feed high up, you also avoid having to dig into it, and can simply allow the feed to pour out when you need it.

Cycle Feed Frequently

There is a very good reason most food items intended for human consumption are marked as having a sell by date or expiration date. While these can seem arbitrary, they often mark the period right before the food begins to go stale. While most animals will not especially care if their food is not crisp, their health can be affected by this if the food has begun to dry rot. The nutrients in feed need to be reasonably fresh in order to be most effective in keeping your livestock healthy. So cycle through your feed often, and avoid spoilage.