Is it safe to cover hay this way?

atlarge54 · Jun 17, 2010

I don't have sufficient storage shelter for my hay (4x4 rounds) which is to sell not feed. I generally keep the bales on skids to avoid ground contact. One of my customers gave me a couple clear plastic bags to try as covers. They really fit nice and tight without the need of any fasteners. Will heat and moisture still be a problem? The bottom still has pretty good ventilation it's the upper portion that has me concerned. Thanks for any help.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 17, 2010

Think I'd worry about condensation. I see folks around here stacking them and just covering the top.

Dave

NEBeef · Jun 17, 2010

I've tried stuffing them in ag bags, I could never get enough ventilation through them to prevent massive condensation. I tried covering them individually with section so the same material, they either got wet from weather anyway or we lost a lot to rot. What I do now is stack them in stacks of nine, six on the bottom, three on top, and cover that with a tarp. This works pretty well if you stack them when they're good a dry on the surface and cover them before any rain gets to them. I stack them right on the ground, try to keep some good gravel there. We use sisal twine, so it does eventually rot off on the bottom, but that's not an issue for me as I don't sell any stacked this way, I feed them right out

gene bender · Jun 17, 2010

Plastic bags wont let any air in and condensation from the hay will sure mess them up.

rrlund · Jun 17, 2010

Any hay that I can't get in a building,I try to do what the baler manufacturers suggest. Leave them out in the open,a foot or more apart with the flat open front and rear facing north and south. In other words,so when the sun rises and sets over them,the sunshine hits the rounded sided equally. It's best to not even put them under a tree since that will stop the sun from getting to them and they'll stay damp. That's the one piece of advive that I don't always follow,although I should.

Nancy Howell · Jun 17, 2010

Many years ago, I bought about 100 square bales of coastal. Stacked it on pallets in the pasture and tarped it down good until we could finish out the hay storage area in the barn. I had never stored hay before.

Condensation formed on the underside of the tarp and caused the hay to mold. Most of it had to be trashed because it was unfit for the horses.

I do not advise covering hay tightly.

jimva · Jun 17, 2010

With it being clear plastic its goin to let sun light in which in turn will cause condensation. Which in turn will cause the hay to spoil. Samething if you use the blue or green tarps, Any tarp that you can see sunlight through when holding it up will casue condensation.

Stack the hay in a 3-2-1 pryamid stack. 3 on the bottom 2 on the next row and then 1 on top and spend the money and by a good heavy duty silver tarp with a black or brown underside leave the ends open and you will be just fine storing it outside.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 17, 2010

Not sure about bags, I use slip on bale bonnets, $110/roll for your size, I think, might be worth a try. I use them over again, from year to year, the only damage occurs at the bottom of the bale, about 3" of wet hay. I stack them together in arow, flat face to flat face. Looks like a black tube when you are done.
bale bonnets

camju · Jun 17, 2010

I find just stack in a long single row on the ground with good drainage and forget the rest.

Tx Jim · Jun 18, 2010

(quoted from post at 13:52:54 06/17/10) It's best to not even put them under a tree since that will stop the sun from getting to them and they'll stay damp.

I agree that storing rd bales under a tree is one of the worst places to store them. BTDT ONCE

Is it safe to cover hay this way?

atlarge54

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Anonymous-0

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NEBeef

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gene bender

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rrlund

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Nancy Howell

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jimva

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Anonymous-0

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camju

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Tx Jim

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