Huge haystacks in the 1950's

[Mat4644]

Still Amish around me storing loose hay in barns and outside straw stacks after thrashing. Never seen the giant hay stacks. Remember a few farmers growing up that still had the automobile converted buck rakes in barns. Used only occasionally for gathering and feeding loose hay.

 

[stuckmotor]

Those big stacks really appeal to me but living in humid, rainy, SC they probably wouldn't last long at all. My round bales stored outside usually aren't worth much by spring and I can only remember seeing a total of two hand built hay stacks in my youth.

 

[Tx Jim]

Those big stacks really appeal to me but living in humid, rainy, SC they probably wouldn't last long at all. My round bales stored outside usually aren't worth much by spring.

I'm curious what the average annual rainfall & humidity is in SC. What outside rd bale storage method do you utilize?

 

[k0ua]

We've discussed haying methods using buckrakes, beverslides, and similar contraptions before and I love it. Egon is a man of experience with this, there might be others. Here's a link to a video I hadn't seen before.
195's Classic Tractor Film Cutting Hay In Northern Nevada - The Haying Season - YouTube

That was a really neat film. I found that very noteworthy and informative. I had never seen that done around where I grew up. Hay was loose stacked in a barn around here. Then later of course when I came of age it was baled and bucked onto wagons and then stacked in the barn. I got my fill of that pretty quick. I would wheeze badly and couldn't sleep at night and would wheeze for days afterward. Yes, I suffered from allergies badly all of my life.

 

[stuckmotor]

I'm curious what the average annual rainfall & humidity is in SC. What outside rd bale storage method do you utilize?

Rainfall 48"
Humidity 76%
Depending on which site has the info.

My best outside hay storage is to put bales on logs so they can't touch other bales or the ground. If the bales touch end to end fire ants carry dirt up between the bales and nest there. They spoil the hay at the ends and I don't want them stinging me or my cattle. Last year I didn't get the bales on logs and my loss was more than usual. The jury is out on whether to tarp hay stacked on logs. If not on logs and tarped it tends to wick up moisture.
If you have a better method short of a shed please tell me.

 

[stuckmotor]

I'm curious what the average annual rainfall & humidity is in SC. What outside rd bale storage method do you utilize?

Rainfall 48"
Humidity 76%
Depending on which site has the info.

My best outside hay storage is to put bales on logs so they can't touch the ground or touch other bales. If the bales touch end to end fire ants carry dirt up between the bales and nest there. They spoil the hay at the ends and I don't want them stinging me or my cattle. Last year I didn't get the bales on logs and my loss was more than usual. The jury is out on whether to tarp hay stacked on logs. If not on logs and tarped it tends to wick up moisture.
If you have a better method short of a shed please tell me.

 

[Tx Jim]

Locally we've already exceeded our average yearly rainfall of 36.4 by 1'' & we still have 3 months remaining in 2020. I just checked average humidity & it stated 65.8%. I store my rd bales on sandy loam soil with flat ends touching but definitely have 3'+ between rows with very minimal hay spoilage. My neighbors that stack their rd bales forming pyramids with rows touching & NO cover never cease to amuse me.:thumbdown:

 

[Hay Dude]

Rainfall 48"
Humidity 76%
Depending on which site has the info.

My best outside hay storage is to put bales on logs so they can't touch the ground or touch other bales. If the bales touch end to end fire ants carry dirt up between the bales and nest there. They spoil the hay at the ends and I don't want them stinging me or my cattle. Last year I didn't get the bales on logs and my loss was more than usual. The jury is out on whether to tarp hay stacked on logs. If not on logs and tarped it tends to wick up moisture.
If you have a better method short of a shed please tell me.

Plastic pallets are excellent under round bales. They won’t wick moisture, they’re strong, they don’t decay and last 10 years with reasonable handling. I get them for about $5-$8 a piece in my area.

 

[stuckmotor]

Jim and Dude,
Thank you for your advice. I'm trying to cut my cattle count to the point that no hay will be needed. I've been saying that for years and may end up feeding long enough to apply what you've told me.

 

[big bubba]

this looks to be of the same era