Hay Storage

[AGRIMAN]

I'm quite a bit farther north then you or agriman so blowing snow is always a concern and hence why i tried to keep as much of the hay covered as possible.

Our average snow fall here is about 4 or 5 flakes every 7 years. I guess this could also be part of the reason why you have condensation issues and I don't.

 

[Farmer495]

I tried pallets one winter. Kept the hay fine BUT they froze to the ground and I spent more time gathering up boards, splinters and nails than I did anything else. Had to pry frozen boards complete with nails sticking up out from under the stack as I used it. I basically lost 3/4 of the pallets first winter.

 

[vsteel]

Square bales we would stack in a pyramid shape but always have the bottom row turned on its side so the strings were not on the ground and rotting. We normally would feed them the next year though because while the hay inside the outer layer of bales was good the sisal (sp?) strings would rot and make it harder to throw into the pickup.

Round bales we always turn the bottom ones on end as well and then lay another row on top of them horizontal. They last a good couple of years no problem.

Best long term storage though was always loose. The bigger the stack you can put up the better. I have pulled hay out of a 5 year old loose stack and looked as good as the day we put it up. We used an old farmhand so the height of the stack is in the 17 foot range and even with trying to pack it in would setting down to about 12 feet. It forms a crust on the outside and seals it up.

We have WAY to much hay to put in a barn or put tarps on.

 

[JimRB]

I found three plastic pallets. I like much better than wood pallets because they do not rot. I believe they are made heavy and light duty. I saw some plastic pallets in a dumpster but decided they were not worthy (heavy duty) enough to dive for.

 

[Creamer]

I tried pallets one winter. Kept the hay fine BUT they froze to the ground and I spent more time gathering up boards, splinters and nails than I did anything else. Had to pry frozen boards complete with nails sticking up out from under the stack as I used it. I basically lost 3/4 of the pallets first winter.

I don't think OP is going to have the same problem - freezing is not a big thing in his area.

Vsteeel - while putting the bales on edge is good for keeping strings from rotting you have dryer ground than the OP. In the eastern half of the country you need to have the hay up off the ground or the moisture will wick through the ground right into the hay and you will lose a lot off of the bottom.

OP - remember condensation is caused by warmer moist air rising against a cooler - below dewpoint - surface (read tarp). You need to have enough air flow to make sure the air as it rises moves out from under the tarp.

 

[Jerry/MT]

How are you guys storing your hay?

Currently mine just sits outside unprotected but I'm looking into getting some tarps and covering some of it. Might take a couple of years to get it all covered. I only string tie, no net wrap option.

What type of bale?

Small squares- First layer straw then stack so the bales interlock and tie stack together. On top lay a row of bales in the center of the stack and put the tarp on and secure it snugly. That allows the top to shed water and snow. If you live in windy areas, invest in a real hay tarp because a blue tarp won't cut it.

Rounds with twine tie - Stack the first one vertically and then the next row horizontally. I've seen people go two vertical and then one horizontal. I don't.

Rounds with net wrap- stack on the ground butted together with each row separated by thee feet. The first year I had net wrap I stacked them like I do twine and the water ran off the net wrap into the lower bale and I had frozen moldy hay in verticle stripes on each side of the bottom bale. Never did that again! My theory is the net wrap allows water running off the top bale to stay attached to the top bale beyond the mid line of the horizontal bale and then drip into the bottom bale. On a twine bale, the rough outside lets very little water beyond the mid line.

 

[farmer2009]

What type of bale?

Small squares- First layer straw then stack so the bales interlock and tie stack together. On top lay a row of bales in the center of the stack and put the tarp on and secure it snugly. That allows the top to shed water and snow. If you live in windy areas, invest in a real hay tarp because a blue tarp won't cut it.

Rounds with twine tie - Stack the first one vertically and then the next row horizontally. I've seen people go two vertical and then one horizontal. I don't.

Rounds with net wrap- stack on the ground butted together with each row separated by thee feet. The first year I had net wrap I stacked them like I do twine and the water ran off the net wrap into the lower bale and I had frozen moldy hay in verticle stripes on each side of the bottom bale. Never did that again! My theory is the net wrap allows water running off the top bale to stay attached to the top bale beyond the mid line of the horizontal bale and then drip into the bottom bale. On a twine bale, the rough outside lets very little water beyond the mid line.

4x5 twine tied round bales.

 

[farmer2009]

I don't think OP is going to have the same problem - freezing is not a big thing in his area.

Vsteeel - while putting the bales on edge is good for keeping strings from rotting you have dryer ground than the OP. In the eastern half of the country you need to have the hay up off the ground or the moisture will wick through the ground right into the hay and you will lose a lot off of the bottom.

OP - remember condensation is caused by warmer moist air rising against a cooler - below dewpoint - surface (read tarp). You need to have enough air flow to make sure the air as it rises moves out from under the tarp.

We do actually see a decent bit of cold weather. Although nothing like you northerners.

This winter we saw 24-30 inches of snow in 6-7 events. Lowest temps were in the single digits. Last winter was about 40 inches of snow in I think 3 events. A 4, 12 &24 inch snow. The 24 did set a record and with thawed ground underneath in March. With temps dipping below zero. After the 12" snow.

So things freezing to the ground does happen but usually it thaws out at some point. We do deal with quite a bit of mud.

Currently my hay is stacked outside on the ground unprotected. So my thoughts are I'm loosing 25% or more to weather. (Some research suggests losses as high as 50%). If I can stack and cover and get that number down to 10% or less I'm already way ahead. While I'm not disputing that it's better to have the hay up off the ground, I know pallets won't work for me. I might be able to get a load of #4's in and spread before I start stacking.

Currently I'm looking at a 25'x54' tarp. Using a tie down system that uses bale anchoring tie downs. So the hay holds the tarp on. Cost seems to be about $400. Tarp uses grommets with webbing not loops to tie down. Haven't seen any with loops. Although I think they would be best.

 

[birddog0304]

Stored it outside for years unprotected. You lose a lot more than u realize. Decided to try something different. Went with tarps. Lost some on bottom and very little on top to moisture/mold. Significant decrease in rotten hay lying on ground compared to no cover. I had to be very economical about the tie down so I used whatever was laying around( I'm sure no one else has junk laying around the farm). Went with old tires and concrete blocks(cinder blocks). Now use both on bottom, but use blocks to anchor tarp. This also allows me to peel back tarp like a banana without having to remove and reanchor. Tarp stays secure and next roles are easy to access. Tarps are difficult to manage alone(do-able but difficult). Blocks will freeze to ground but easy to move with a bump from FEL, tires no problem. A lot less hay lost I must say, and with good care, tarps finished 6th year and will be used a 7th. Fortunately I have some barn storage, and tarped hay is always fed out first. 250 rolls per year very few squares. Would like to try a tarp barn, but my experience with way I try to cram every bit in to pole barn says I'd probably have a hole in tarp barn real soon. Those who store inside know what I'm talking about. Bought biggest tarp available at that time without going for a custom make and now store 50-60 rolls under each. Can't remember exact size, probably around 30x60.

 

[sammyd]

We stored rounds in a 40x60 shed.
Put old plywood down on the gravel floor.
Used forks instead of a poker. Tipped the bales up on end. You can get a lot more bales under cover if you stack em like that since you don't have to pyramid them.