The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: debbietownhead on August 20, 2012, 04:48:22 pm

Title: plastic feed sacks
Post by: debbietownhead on August 20, 2012, 04:48:22 pm
We are now using in excess of 2 tonnes of feed per month.  Does anyone have any ideas now to get rid of the bags?  Solway will take them at a cost I think of £7 per large poly bag.   However as money is always tight does anyone have any better ideas.
Debbie
 
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: Berkshire Boy on August 20, 2012, 04:54:50 pm
Don't buy your feed in bags, simple  :idea:
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: hughesy on August 20, 2012, 05:05:43 pm
Can you get it in paper bags and bung them in the compost heap?
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: robert waddell on August 20, 2012, 05:16:54 pm
save them up for 5Th of November and celebrate in style :excited: :farmer:
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: Sbom on August 20, 2012, 05:37:57 pm
Buy it in a big ton bag, usually slightly cheaper aswell
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: darkbrowneggs on August 20, 2012, 05:49:33 pm
Might Freecycle produce a responce, or are you allowed to take them in for re-cycling at the tip?
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: oaklandspigs on August 20, 2012, 05:53:19 pm
We are mainly bulk, but our sheep feed ones go to the local allotment, where they love them.
 
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: Sylvia on August 20, 2012, 06:03:45 pm
People will collect them for bagging up manure. I drop my surplus off to a roadside veg. stall who can't get enough of them.
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: debbietownhead on August 20, 2012, 06:27:51 pm
Thanks for your replies so far. 
Firstly I am looking out for a second hand silo and have previously asked on this forum about this  with only 1 reply but nothing positive.  A silo would save at least £100 per tonne in feed but cant currenty justify the outlay.
We cant get the food in paper bags or in 1 tonne bags.  We already bag up well rotted manure in them for friends gardens in the spring but prefer to use the manure on the fields.  Have tried burning them but it just ends up as a big plastic mess on the ground and is not environmentally friendly. 
Getting through 150 a month......................
Keep going with your ideas please!
 
Debbie
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: princesspiggy on August 20, 2012, 09:13:49 pm
a neighbour up here sells them full of firewood for £5.
can u not get the feed blown into a shed?
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: Hassle on August 21, 2012, 01:03:16 pm
I understand cost is important but a second hand silo may not be as cost effective as a new one, a new one will have a guarantee of 25 years.
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: smallholder in the city on August 21, 2012, 01:54:31 pm
We use ours as a weed suppressant cover around the new trees we're planting. They also make quite good planters if you roll the tops down a bit and cut some drainage holes in the bottom, you can turn them inside out so they are plain. You've probably got too many to use them personally for that/ may not be greenfingered but local gardeners/allotmenters might be interested.
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: Hassle on August 21, 2012, 04:57:50 pm
Most of the big supermarkets have recycle bins for there plastic bags .. I normally slip a few in there  :wave:
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: princesspiggy on August 21, 2012, 05:18:04 pm
someone on here sold them at carboot sales - 10 for a £1    :eyelashes:
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: bangbang on August 21, 2012, 05:30:24 pm
Builders use them to get rid of rubbish - maybe some of your local contractors would take them.
I use ours all the time -  cos the're strong and a decent size unlike the crap rubble sacks that
you can buy.
Title: Re: plastic feed sacks
Post by: suziequeue on August 21, 2012, 05:56:39 pm
We've been accumulating feed sacks for about two years now and then suddenly they all went in one afternoon to bag up a MASSIVE amount of kindling.


From OH moaning at me about them - now they're flavour of the month.