Small space feed storage

[173north]

Would love to hear your brilliant feed room storage/organization suggestions for a very small space! We have a shared feed room for boarders where everyone has, basically, room for one or two big metal trash cans to pop their feed bags into.

My hastily-constructed setup is a big Rubbermaid tub with my supplements, and a Vittles Vault container sitting on top of that with 25 lbs of beet pulp. I am only feeding one per day but this setup is inefficient enough to annoy me daily, plus I need somewhere to stash another 40lb bag of hay pellets. Would love to find some way to use my vertical space - two containers on the floor for feed with a shelf up top for supplements? I’d love to do the tall Rubbermaid ‘ingredient bins’ on wheels with the flip tops that seem designed for restaurants but they are super pricey…

[Scribbler]

Get the Ikea recycling bins and stack them. The large will hold 50 lb of feed.

[173north]

Oh, genius - I hadn’t thought to check Ikea! Is it the 16 gal Sortera? https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/sortera-recycling-bin-with-lid-white-70255899/

Saw someone elsewhere online say it holds a 55lb bag of grain for brewing beer, haha.

[Pico_Banana]

I have a very small - maybe 8x10 combined grain/tack room with three doors. It’s just for me, but it’s still tight. For my grain station, I use the 50 lb Vittles Vaults for grain/pellets/cubes. Despite their claims, they don’t stack very well when full. I had my carpenter build me a simple three shelf unit that lets me fit 5 Vittles Vaults and two SmartPak drawers into about a 48" wide unit. I have the top shelf free for my electric kettle and other supplement containers, as well as to assemble meals. Works great!

[S1969]

https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-2748/Recycling-Containers/Stackable-Recycle-Bins?pricode=WA9454&gadtype=pla&id=H-2748&gclid=CjwKCAiAyPyQBhB6EiwAFUuakkt5gbkIv9zFoAiYEFfXhQCMoFiMbyXxoFaIuH-w5tyD0AnLF6Q0KBoCr-MQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Maybe something like this?

[Xanthoria]

anyone got rat-proof (ie not plastic) versions of same? We’re not allowed to use plastic bins

[Scribbler]

Honestly nothing has chewed through my plastic evrn after 10 years.

[Xanthoria]

oh not doubting that - but the barn manager makes the rules!

[DoubleDown]

I have 3 garbage cans on wheels that I have under a shelf my husband built me. I can pull each out like a drawer to scoop from while the bucket I’m filling sits on the shelf. I wanted the cans over permanent type bins so I could completely empty the cans and easily wash/ rotate grain as needed. Each can holds about 2 1/2-50lb bags easily. I only go that full if there’s a sale or something, usually just go with the 2 bags at a time.

[S1969]

@Scribbler

Honestly nothing has chewed through my plastic evrn after 10 years.

I used a Rubbermaid tub for 10 years and then something chewed through the side. I couldn’t believe it. No plastic for me anymore either.

[Simkie]

Round trash cans are so wasteful on space when you have a bunch of them. The rectangular Rubbermaid roughneck cans fit together in tight spaces so much better:

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/home-and-decor/trash-and-recycling/garbage-cans-and-recycling-bins/73690

[Tarlo_Farm]

NO PLASTIC. @DoubleDown, can you share a photo?

[Simkie]

I manage rodents in other ways. I’ve not once had anything chew through a plastic grain can.

Yeah, if there’s a rodent problem, metal cans might be necessary. But if they’re not a problem, plastic storage can be FINE, and it’s sure a hell of a lot easier to maximize space if you’re not dealing with a bunch of round pieces.

[Tarlo_Farm]

The OP has already said the BO won’t allow plastic.
(Because they know it’s only a matter of time…)

[Simkie]

@Tarlo_Farm

The OP has already said the BO won’t allow plastic.
(Because they know it’s only a matter of time…)

Nope. The OP hasn’t said that.

[173north]

I’m OP and plastic is fine! My stuff is currently in a Vittles Vault and my supplements are in a cheapo clear sterilite storage container. I just used two 30 gal trash cans to demonstrate how much floor space I had. Another poster said their barn does not permit plastic

[Simkie]

If you can fit two round cans side by side, you can probably get three of the roughnecks. Add a shelf over that for your supplements?

The roughnecks fit 100#s of most horse feed, and 150# of alfalfa pellets.

[173north]

Okay, these might be perfect! Agreed on the metal trash cans, they’re so inefficient when it comes to space. The IKEA ones are out of stock, those would be my top choice… but I think I could do the two of these rubber cans plus a little shelf/cart next to them (or above, if I can figure out the dimensions that would work) for supplements and for a workspace.

[Grey623]

The tall storage containers they make for wrapping paper hold a 50lb grain bag. You could put two of them side by side, then add an over/around-the-toilet shelf/cabinet stand to give you storage above. (Caveat, haven’t done this myself, don’t know if dimensions work.)

Grey

[Pally]

I’m with @Simkie that the Roughnecks are my favourite for single bag filling, easy daily scooping, durable, sealing lids, etc. Only downfall is not stackable, but I like a set-up where the roughneck is on a shelf/bench, and something else is under it.

Not sure if these are only in Canada/Ontario thanks to our garbage system, but our “Green Bins” meant for roadside pickup hold about a bag of grain (these are the compact ones) and are a much thicker plastic and have a lock so fairly rodent proof. I find them a little awkward to scoop from, but the footprint is small and the size and wheels make for easy maneuverability.

@Xanthoria would you have space for a small apartment size chest freezer? I’ve been at barns that use bigger ones, and while they aren’t my favourite for ease of use/handling, they DO effectively keep the rats out.