HOW MUCH BULK CORN WILL A 55 GAL DRUM HOLD?

WE THOUGHT WE WOULD SAVE $ THIS YEAR AND BUY BULK CORN. FEED STORE SAYS 350 # BUT WHY WHEN YOU FILL FEEDERS WITH BAGGED 50 # IT ONLY TAKES 6 BAGS AND A 1/4 OF THE 7TH WITHOUT A FUNNEL.

I don't think I've ever had one hold 350, but not all corn weighs the same for the same volume. Moisture content and size of the kernels will make a difference.

Depends on the drums you buy. Not all are 55 gallons. Some can be a little less. But at least 300#+ I would say. But just beware that corn is harvested with moisture in it and sealing it into drums that are air tight it will condensate or sweat and then ruin the whole drum of corn if you seal them tight. I would not plan on keeping it very long if you are going to do this.

WE PUT ALL OF IT OUT THE NEXT DAY.

55 should take about 300#

THAT'S WHAT I TOLD THE FEED STORE BUT THAT'S WHAT THEIR STICKING TO. 350? NO WAY. GONNA GET A BARREL AND WEIGH IT. THEY OWE ME SOME $ BACK.

If they can fill bulk then ask them if they can rent you the large seed/fertilizer totes and have them fill them with bulk clean corn. Will hold 2000# more or less per tote and if you have a tractor with a front end loader you can move them around and lift them up to unload them into your feeders. When they are empty take them back and get your refund on them. I would not buy bulk corn unless it was recleaned and aflatoxin tested.

Did they weight the truck/trailer with the empty barrel and fill it or just fill the barrel and charge you?

FILLED 12 BARRELS. NO SCALES.

Go back to the store and take all the barrels and ask him to pick a barrel and you buy 7 bags of corn and tell him to fill it up. If it is full and no corn left you have your answer or if not then you he has answered your arguement.

STX,

WE HAD 2 TOTES BOUGHT BUT THEY DIDN'T GET TO US IN TIME FOR US TO LEAVE. SO I JUST GOT IT AT A LOCAL FEED STORE.

If they are selling bulk corn then they have to have scales to weigh it out or access to them. They could be making or loosing money selling it without them. I have seen stores sell bulk corn/seed/fertilizer bulk seed totes that are pre-weighed before hand so they/you know what you are getting.

all six of my feeders made from 55gal drums only take 300 pounds

You also have to look at it as water weight. There is space between the kernels. I can get 6.75 bags of protein in one and about 6.25 bags of corn.

That is not what I have found. Protein vs. corn weight is going to be 10% less by the same volume of space. More moisture in a kernel corn than in a manufactured deer pellet. I have taken many a 5 gallon bucket of corn and weighed it and then filled the same bucket with pellets and weighed it and that is how I get my numbers. Pellets and corn can both vary by density and moisture but I have never found pellets to out weigh corn by weight. All feeder manufacturers will tell you weight a feeder will hold is measured in volume of corn it will hold and it will be less for protein. Just been my experience.

I dont mean actual weight, it's volume. Freshwater weighs 8.3ppg, I'd be willing to bet by volume it holds 350 lbs of water. Although protein and corn are more dense for the same volume it displaces less. I misrepresented my statement but thought I got the just across.

Since my pellets are smaller and more concentric than corn thus I can put more protein "per gallon" than corn due to "free space" between kernels.

I understand what you are saying but go get a bag of protein and a bag corn and see which is bulkier or bigger in the bags. Pellets for the most part are in bigger bag than corn for me. Then get a bucket and weigh it full of each. Both will have free or air space inbetween. Just been my experience weighing out feed for mixes in the past. Yours might be different. Call a feeder manufacturer and ask them what the weight capacity is on their feeders with corn and protein and see what tell you. My protein bins are 14 tons capacity, but I can not get but 12 tons max of protein in them since the measured weight is in corn capacity not protein. I know this from when I order feed. Always can order more corn than protein.

We buy bulk corn monthly from the co-op and on average, our 55 gallon drums will hold 340lbs, give or take a little.

Just FYI

My 55 gal. drums hold 350 lbs. of corn. It's a tight squeeze but I can just barely get the lid on.

350lbs

We just bought 720lbs the other day. Two 55gal drums at 360lbs each. I watched them weigh us in and weigh us out.