Feed gone bad?

[Dona]

I have been feeding Strategy to my adult horses for a while now. Have been getting it from our local TSC store in heavy paper bags. Recently got a batch from our local elevator who carries Purina lines. Noticed it was now in white plastic bags. Opened up the first bag a few days later & it has a very strong, almost chemical smell to it, and it "appears" to have lots of lighter colors pellets mixed in (almost looks like mold). I opened the second bag...same thing. Opened the 3rd bag...same thing. I don't know how to explain the smell....but it is very strong & does not smell normal at all.

Needless to say, I am not feeding it to my horses. The elevator we bought these bags from was closed when we noticed this. So, I am going to the TSC store in the morning to buy a bag to compare. Then, I am taking ALL the bags I got from the elevator back & let them have a whif! Something is definitely wrong! What worries me, is John had already fed two feedings of it to the horses. He can't smell much, and is fairly new to horses, so doesn't notice things like that. I am really worried we fed them something toxic.

Has anyone else experienced moldy or spoiled Strategy feed?

 

[Bess Kelly]

Before returning it, you might want to take pictures AND keep a sample...a couple pounds....just in case you need to have it tested.

I've used Strategy and it smells a little like licorice, to me. There is always a chance that the feed has been contaminated with wrong product, even if not molded. Yep, better safe than sorry. And I'm certain you are worrying about what they've already eaten!! Mold will generally "wipe off". Have you cut a pellet to see if it is off colored inside?

Hope all works out ok for you.

 

[kaykay]

Donna

About 6 weeks ago we got tons of bad strategy from two different stores. Both stores refunded our money and we got some coupons from Purina to make up for it. It was the worst smell I have ever smelled! I was told when I called Purina that Strategy does not do well in heat and to always try to buy the newest production date. My bags were dated July and were all bad. It has been extremely hot here but still. Lisa also called and was told a different story than I was but the girl I talked to was adamant that the shelf life of Strategy during hot months was only 4-6 weeks.

Kay

 

[Mominis]

Funny that you should mention this. Yesterday, while I was at the barn, one of the boarder moms asked me to look at her feed. She said there were bugs in it. I went over and looked into the bucket and in the feed were these little black weevil looking bugs. I told her absolutely NOT to feed it and we went and looked in her car at the feed bin. They were in the bin too, so I told her to take it back to TSC and demand her money back. Isn't this the second or third time this year that we've heard of issues with feeds from TSC?

 

[Dona]

Donna

About 6 weeks ago we got tons of bad strategy from two different stores. Both stores refunded our money and we got some coupons from Purina to make up for it. It was the worst smell I have ever smelled! I was told when I called Purina that Strategy does not do well in heat and to always try to buy the newest production date. My bags were dated July and were all bad. It has been extremely hot here but still. Lisa also called and was told a different story than I was but the girl I talked to was adamant that the shelf life of Strategy during hot months was only 4-6 weeks.

Kay

Thank you Kay! I was wondering if maybe I wasn't over-reacting, but I'm sure I'm not. It IS absolutely the worse smell I've ever smelled in any horse feed I've used. Will be calling Purina AND returning it all to the elevator I bought it from!

 

[Dona]

Funny that you should mention this. Yesterday, while I was at the barn, one of the boarder moms asked me to look at her feed. She said there were bugs in it. I went over and looked into the bucket and in the feed were these little black weevil looking bugs. I told her absolutely NOT to feed it and we went and looked in her car at the feed bin. They were in the bin too, so I told her to take it back to TSC and demand her money back. Isn't this the second or third time this year that we've heard of issues with feeds from TSC?

Actually, I've had no problems at all when buying my feed from TSC. It was when I got it from our local elevator that I ended up with the bad bags.

 

[Dona]

Before returning it, you might want to take pictures AND keep a sample...a couple pounds....just in case you need to have it tested.

I've used Strategy and it smells a little like licorice, to me. There is always a chance that the feed has been contaminated with wrong product, even if not molded. Yep, better safe than sorry. And I'm certain you are worrying about what they've already eaten!! Mold will generally "wipe off". Have you cut a pellet to see if it is off colored inside?

Hope all works out ok for you.

Thanks Bess. You are right....it is supposed to have a slight licorice aroma. And keeping some to test is a good idea! The off-colored pellets seem to be that way all the way through tho...so not sure if it's mold or what is going on.

 

[Becky]

I quit feeding Strategy some years ago because of the inconsistency in the product. Seemed like it was different nearly everytime I bought it. Many times it smelled burned and the horses would hardly eat it. Not what I wanted to be feeding!

 

[Dona]

I checked the dates on the bottom of the bags, and they all said 9NOV12 (so, that means they were bagged last November??!!

I returned them to the Co op where I purchased them, and they are replacing them with some they are getting from another location and which are dated SEP1 (I am assuming THIS year!)

But I WILL be checking them out before I accept them.

 

[albahurst]

I checked the dates on the bottom of the bags, and they all said 9NOV12 (so, that means they were bagged last November??!!

I returned them to the Co op where I purchased them, and they are replacing them with some they are getting from another location and which are dated SEP1 (I am assuming THIS year!)

But I WILL be checking them out before I accept them.

I would think that the 9NOV12 means it is good until Nov 9, 2012?? - well, supposed to be good anyway` or it was processed on Nov !2, 2009. Either way- I hope you get your money back.

 

[Dona]

I would think that the 9NOV12 means it is good until Nov 9, 2012?? - well, supposed to be good anyway` or it was processed on Nov !2, 2009. Either way- I hope you get your money back.

The new bags are dated 0SEP1......so that means they were bagged the first of September 2010. AND, the pellets look fine & smells wonderful.

That also means that the bags I returned (which were dated 9Nov12) were bagged Nov 12, 2009...almost a years ago! They had been setting around in a warehouse somewhere since last November and thru the whole summer! No wonder they went bad! I will definitely be checking the dates on every bag of feed I buy from now on.

 

[Leeana]

I feed Strategy (for now) and over the past couple months the smell of the grain has changed so much and its just not an attractive smell compared to the nice fresh sweet smell it was before. I am looking into other feed options, i've always been a big Purina fan too...

 

[kaykay]

Like a lot of you I also thought the date was the "good until" date and not the production date. When I called Purina they said that is the production date and during hot months never buy more than 2 monhts old feed. Wow to be selling year old feed is really bad as even Purina says it wont last that long even in good temps. Some of the bad feed we got was at TSC and the second batch was at the feed mill. We now dont buy it unless the production date is the same month we are buying it.

I do wonder if the new bags are part of the problem. To ME that new plastic bag would probably absorb a lot more heat than the paper bags did but I am no scientist LOL.

After I returned mine to TSC they said they got flooded with returned feed. They said the entire warehouse smelled so bad they had to quickly dump it and get it out of the store. Its a smell I will never forget.

Kay

 

[Charlotte]

Like Becky, we had problems with Strategy and had to quit using it here. It seemed very often the feed changed a lot. I was told that a number of different mills were making it and that was the reason for the differences. The horses woudln't eat it, or didn't do well on it. We now look for a product that seems more consistent.

But then, I have had any kind of feed spoil under certain conditions. Usually in the heat and humidity of summer. During summer I buy in much smaller batches from feed stores that have a very big turnover so I can pretty much count on the product being fresh.

Charlotte