[wannabesmallholder]

Not specific to sheep, but as I am about to take delivery of my first ever sheep next month, I'm starting to get things together for what we will need.

To store their feed, will just a black plastic dustbin do? Or is there a reason you'd go for a specific (expensive) "feed bin"? I'm keen to keep rodents out, but presumably a well fitting dustbin lid would do this? Would rats chew through plastic? Would a metal dustbin be better?

Sorry this is probably a ridiculous question, but I'm new to this......

[Womble]

Try a wanted ad in your local paper for a broken chest freezer.

We ended up with three, and one of them actually still works!

[Penninehillbilly]

Chest freezer here as well, but it does end up with loads of bits in the bottom, must have a clean out soon. I do have some lidded buckets in other places for convenience,  they only take half bags so other half is in freezer. Morning feed bowls are prepared the night before,  they are safe in the freezer as well.

[Dans]

We use metal dustbins here and so far no problems but we are only a year in. I like them as I can tip them to completely empty them into a bucket or something before new feed goes in, so I don't get any left over dregs at the bottom. We don't have many rats here (yet, I'm sure they will come) so haven't had any issues with  the lids being lifted.

Dans

[Backinwellies]

Old chest freezers here ?.    And yes rats will eat through Plastic.   

[Marches Farmer]

We buy in bagged feed by the tonne and stack the sacks on pallets.  That way we can see under the pallets and if there's spilled feed it means mice or rats have nibbled through one of the bags and we put bait down under the pallet.  The feed store is a purpose-built breeze block and profile sheeting building but nothing except a metal box is rat proof, in our experience (thinking here about the 10cm thick stable door that the rats gnawed through in a single night to get to the turkey's spilled feed).

[harmony]

6 bags fit in a wheelie bin 

[Foobar]

The thing I dislike about chest freezers and wheelie bins etc is how hard it is to lift a bag out of them .  I'd like a big metal bin with front opening doors!

I use some of these plastic kegs for current open bags: http://images.esellerpro.com/53/I/324/52/PATWMJ.jpg  I just empty the bag in and can leave the tub outside or wherever is most convenient.  You can get them second hand on ebay if you are lucky.

[Womble]

I'd like a big metal bin with front opening doors!

like a chest freezer on its side, you mean? 

[Foobar]

Yes, lol. But i was thinking something more elegant ... a bit like this that I've just found: http://www.acorndev.co.uk/FeedBins.html (two-thirds of the way down, Front Access Feed Bins)

[Marches Farmer]

 ... and I like the hanging sheep hayrack with lid too.

[daveh]

I've used plastic dustbins with the feed in loose for a couple of years and never had a rodent problem with the bins despite mice being in the building. As to rats lifting the lid, they must be blinkin strong rats but wouldn't a bungee cord sort that.

Regards, David

[in the hills]

Rats chewed our plastic  dustbins.

We use metal dustbins now for all our feed. Works well, though we did have to use Bunge cords to prevent squirrels throwing the lids off at one point.

[Anke]

We have both - round metal dustbins for individual feed sacks and a proper compartmentalised metal feed storage (in the goat house and it takes about 6 full sacks, with all of them individually accessible, lid can be locked). The proper one is much more space-saving for us, but yes I also have difficulty putting full sacks in and the bottom is getting quite messy with spilled stuff...

I wouldn't use plastic, if you are buying new and only for individual sacks, then the round metal dustbins are fine.

[larrylamb]

We use plastic barrels for loose feed I buy the feed in dumpy bags and unload bye bucket into the plastic 45 gallon drums with lock on lids they are kept outside. You need to use bins in feed sheds with good lids just incase you are inspected