Whether you manage a small family farm or a large-scale livestock operation, efficient feed storage is critical to both your bottom line and animal health. Poorly managed feed leads to waste, spoilage, pest problems and nutritional inconsistencies. But with a few key strategies (and the right equipment), you can help ensure your feed goes further and your animals thrive.
These 10 feed storage strategies will help you solve common challenges using proven technologies from Osborne Livestock Equipment to optimize your setup.
1. Prevent Feed Waste at the Source
Spilled feed doesn’t just cost money, it also invites pests, increases cleanup time and can even compromise air quality in barns. Traditional gravity-flow feeders often dispense more feed than animals can consume, especially when they’re playing. Mechanical-flow feeders are operated by the pigs’ interactions with the feeder, delivering only the amount of feed they need, when they need it. This drastically reduces waste, improves intake efficiency and results in measurable cost savings. Osborne’s Big Wheel mechanical-flow feeder designs offer solutions for pigs at every stage — nursery, wean-to-finish, and finishing — plus bulk finish feeding.
2. Choose the Right Bin and Feeder Material for Your Environment
Feed bins and feeders come in steel, plastic and fiberglass, each with pros and cons. Steel is strong but prone to rust; plastic resists corrosion but some can degrade under UV exposure; fiberglass is strong and insulates well but may be more costly. Match your bin and feeder choice to your climate and maintenance capacity. Regardless of type, Osborne products minimize ground-level exposure, which is where most spoilage happens.
3. Control Moisture and Condensation
Moisture is the enemy of stored feed. It can lead to clumping, mold and mycotoxins — especially in high-humidity environments or during seasonal temperature swings. Use weatherproof bin and feeder lids and ensure proper ventilation. Outside the barn, feeders with enclosed, protected feed hoppers (like Big Wheel Bulk Finish Feeders) can help keep feed drier and fresher while it’s being store and before it’s dispensed.
4. Monitor Feed Levels (Without Climbing the Bin)
Checking feed levels manually can be dangerous and inefficient. Technology has made this easier than ever. Consider installing bin level sensors that integrate with your management system. When used with efficient mechanical-flow feeders, feed usage becomes more predictable, reducing the risk of sudden outages.
5. Right-Size Your Bin and Feeding System
Oversized bins can cause feed to sit too long and spoil, while undersized bins require frequent refills and risk downtime. Match your bin size to your feeding rate, delivery schedule and animal life stage.
For example, sows have additional feeding considerations than finishing hogs. Electronic Sow Feeding (ESF) systems controlled by Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) can ensure sows get the proper nutrition on an appropriate schedule. Osborne’s world-class ESF system, the Total Electronic Animal Management (TEAM) system, reduces waste and labor, optimizes sow body conditioning and maximizes your profitability — all while minimizing stress and reducing feeding aggression.
6. Accommodate Different Feed Types
Different feeds have different flow characteristics. Fine-milled feeds can cake or bridge. Coarse feeds might flow too freely. Work with feed suppliers to ensure consistency and use feeders designed to handle variation. For example, Osborne’s Big Wheel Feeders include adjustable feed flow controls for consistent delivery across feed types.
7. Deter Rodents, Insects and Birds
Feed spills and excess feed in open troughs are magnets for pests, especially when feeding outdoors. Once these pests find a food source, they’re hard to eliminate. Pests can contaminate feed and spread disease. Keep outdoor bin areas clean, seal cracks and use no-waste feeders to limit excess feed exposure and avoid spillage.
8. Simplify the Unloading Process
Complex feed delivery systems can clog, wear or require frequent maintenance. Osborne’s Flow Pro Bin Agitators integrate easily with bin unloaders and auger-fed delivery systems and prevent feed bridging and clumps from entering and clogging feed lines. Flow Pro’s gently rotating steel auger inside the bin’s boot promotes first-in, first-out feed delivery so you confidently empty bins before your next feed delivery. This ensures the feed you are storing and feeding your animals is as fresh as possible.
9. Clean Equipment Regularly
Feed residues can build up in bins and feeders, attracting pests or fostering mold, especially if you switch between rations or use medicated feed. Choose feeders that are easy to clean and built from durable, sanitary materials.
10. Extend the Shelf Life of Your Feed
Even with good storage, feed can break down over time. The longer it sits exposed, the higher the risk of nutrient degradation or mold. Osborne’s mechanical-flow feeder design dispenses only what’s needed, so feed stays protected in the bin until use, which reduces overexposure and spoilage. Additionally, the feeders’ round, non-porous troughs are self-cleaning, and have no corners or cracks for feed to build up and spoil.
Optimizing feed storage is about more than just protecting your feed inputs, it’s about improving profitability, promoting animal health and reducing labor. By combining smart storage and feed dispensing practices with proven systems, you can get the most out of every pound of feed.
