Earlier this week as I was beginning to prepare the goats' grain meals, I noticed on the outside of the bag was mold. I dish the medicated grain out of it's bag, which I keep just inside the mill/barn. I figured that as long as I rolled the opening up real tight, that would keep the humidity from affecting the grain. It seemed that that was working fine. I do keep the regular grain in a metal lidded bin to keep critters out, but with the medicated stuff, I just kept it in it's bag because I assumed that mice wouldn't want that. It looks totally processed with no sign of a real grain to me. I don't know - I guess that I was being lazy. I used the same logic with the alfalfa pellets. I serve that right out of the bag as well. I've never had any sign of critters trying to get to it, so I didn't worry about it.
It's been such a rainy summer, and since the end of June, it's been crazy-humid. Well, I guess that those conditions have finally caught up with me and my bags of grain. I had to throw out a practically new bag of medicated grain and a 1/3-used bag of alfalfa pellets. Both bags covered with mold spores and all the grain touching any part of the bag was completely molded as well.
I bought two new metal storage bins and new bags of feed. Another lesson learned first-hand as a "farmer". Strangely, I get a good feeling when something like this happens. Despite a loss, I feel I've come a bit closer to being a good farmer.
Clover and Tulip eating alfalfa pellets. You can see the dirt floor; and in the corner I keep the floor covered with straw/hay. Right now you can hear a wet squooshie sound as you walk on the bedding. I guess that I need to either put more straw down, or muck it out and put down another thick layer of "Stall Dry" then cover that with fresh straw/hay.
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