Guys... you can store dry pet food in the same fashion you do any long term storage food. Mylar bags in 5 gallon pails. You need to pack it as soon as you open the bag it came in, and get it sealed up quickly. Oxygen absorbers are optional (but will help prevent rancidity, and most pet foods are high in fat, although they do add preservatives to help). If you are concerned the food may not be dry enough, some dessicant packets would be a good idea.
You can even get mylar bags large enough to fit into garbage cans, which would work for grain. Before Y2k, I stored a year's worth of layer mash and cracked corn. I just poured fresh feed into galvanized garbage cans, packing it firmly (less oxygen to make it go stale). Then I spread a half inch thick layer of DE over the entire surface, making sure it reached all the edges. (This kept it from being invaded by grain moths or other tiny pests). After putting the covers on, I taped them carefully with duct tape.
I used up the last of it in the Spring of 2001. It still smelled fine... not like freshly ground, but certainly not musty or rancid. The birds ate it without hesitation, and the rate of lay was normal.
Oh, the cans are set on 2"x8" boards, *not* directly on cement. Moisture will wick through cement.. cans sittibg directly on it will rust out quicker, too.
Summerthyme
