# What do you stack hay on?



## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

We stack small bales using a grabber. We use hoop buildings with a stone base. Then we put plastic down and pallets on top of them. It maintains the hay on the bottom layer for the long term storage that our Amish customers require, but is a lot of work and takes time. Is there a better, more efficient way to maintain quality of the bottom layer for 6 to 8 month or longer storage? What are you guys doing? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.


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## Guest (Jun 8, 2008)

One without the other doesn't work. I don't know of any better way. the bottom is too valuable to lose.

How do you like your hoop barns? Do you have some pics?

HHH


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

We have gotten along real well with the hoop barns. They have great air flow and are easy to stack in. We put them up ourselves, so the price per square foot is cheap hay storage. We currently have a 40 x 100, 38 x 72, 34 x 72 and 30 x 96. We also stack in some pole barns and a couple of bank barns, but I prefer the hoop buildings. I think we will build more of them in the future. I will have to get some pics taken to post.


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## greenacres (Jun 5, 2008)

I have two pole barns with dirt floors. I put plastic down than put 1 or 2 inches of lime down let it dry than put ground hay, straw, old hay, weedy hay, or heated hay and your good to go.if it sticks to the bottom bale no big deal it will fall off before it get to the feed bunk as many times as it is handled etc. shed to truck, truck to enduser, enduser to shed ,and then to tmr


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

Do you see any damage on the bottom bales...any discoloration or dust or mold? We sell all our hay into the horse market and they are very picky on color, smell, dust, and mold. It wouldn't be a problem to wipe off the chopped hay or straw if the bale was good otherwise.


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## greenacres (Jun 5, 2008)

musty smell is all, color is good, only damage is around doors, besides where my horse customers put it its the best it will ever be. I have not had any complaints yet. I bale big squares 3x4x8


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## Rock Farm (Jun 12, 2008)

I am extending my storage of hay. So far I have stored in buildings but now to increase my buying for my beef feeding operation to save money I will need to increase my outside storage. Money is tight so I have researched HAY TARPS. Looks like losses will not be too bad if its on gravel base, or pallets , facing north to south. Has anyone used this method and how did it go. I feed small square bales as I put them through a hay chopper to make a tmr. I do not feed horses.Thanks. The hay will be stored for up to 9 months. I am in the northeast.


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## greenacres (Jun 5, 2008)

When my sheds get full I stack outside on pallets with tarps from Inland tarp and cover. sides will weather and bottoms will be alright, pallets will freeze in winter to the ground. Tarps come in different sizes to fit your haying style.
I have used these tarps for the last eight years and they are still good.
My hay has sat out side for anywhere from 2 months to ten months. When you start using hay just flip the edge back and recinch it and you are good to go


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## greenacres (Jun 5, 2008)

I forgot in my previous statement on tarps dont flat top the pile, break the plane stack a row in the middle of the pile, example I make 3x4x8, lay 3 wide (24ft) then stack 5 high on outside rows and 6 high in the middle my tarp is 35 wide it will hang over 5 ft on each side then go as long as you want. short tarps work best they will over lay as the pile gets longer. If you flat top it is the same principle as flying a plane a little wind and it is off, break the plane and I have with stood a 65mph wind and it was still tight


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

Thanks Greenacres, that is good advice on the tarps. I have been thinking about some large tarps for the future if some geographically seperated land becaome available. Your thoughts have renewed my interest in this as an option.


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## geiselbreth (Feb 21, 2010)

atleast 6 inches crushed limestone work great her is mississippi its called angularfill most road jobs require doesnt move like wash gravel


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

I use the the lofts in 4 of these things. 4000 -6000 capacity per barn


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## irvincody (Jul 10, 2011)

I put my round bales on old telephone poles outside and haven't had any problems with mold


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

[quote name='barnrope']I use the the lofts in 4 of these things. 4000 -6000 capacity per barn







[/Q

That is one beautiful barn. I hate to call it a barn.....more like a theatre.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Yah, very nice old barn, spent between the ages of 5 and 30 stacking hay in the mows of a very similar barn. More like rolling the bales around 5-8. That barn we used to stack in is slowly going to hell in a hand bag. The previous owner would always keep it painted, current owners haven't painted it or fixed the roof in the 12 years they have owned it. A lot of those old barns are falling down around here. People either can't afford to keep em up anymore or they don't want to because in most of them, unless you're stacking it clear full of hay, it's a lot of useless space for the owners that they are paying property tax on.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I have used hay tarps from ADM Nutrition for about 5 years now. I also built a 42x60 Farmtek hoop building last summer.

The tarps need to be tied down tight and bale size is pretty critical to get the proper coverage of the stack. The tarps cost about $500 for a 25x55 and last about 5 years. My base is 6" of CA6 under 4-6 inches of 3" clear. They work good at keeping the hay looking like provided you get them on right. On the downside, they are a hassle when covered with snow or ice. It takes at least 2 people (3's better) to handle put them on or take them off.

The building is MUCH easier to get hay into/out of in the winter. I can get about 200 bales in it. The base is 4 inches of CA6, but I think I'm going to add some 2" clear on top.

Ralph


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Set the hay on a rock base that holds the hay up from touching the dirt. I like river gravel the size of golf balls to the size of a hard ball. They call it septic tank rock.

Some years ago a retired HS Foot Ball Coach and Retired Oilers Line Backer and full time hay farmer had something to say.

Talking about round bale storage put the hay on a 4" layer of rock and pay for the rock the first year, with the hay saved. 
Then use a real hay tarp and pay for the tarp in just 3 years, with the hay saved.
Or better yet a simple pole barn and it will pay for the barn in 7 years, with the hay saved.

What I like about the rock base, HERE, is Zero bottom bale mold and I can drive on the flooring. 
Under the rock flooring in the barn I do have a french drain to prevent a pond of water building up in my barn. That is a local and personal problem.

Bermudagrass RBs store very well out side, on a south slope and three feet of air between the rows of bales. Bermudagrass has a water shedding thatch, while oat, sorghum, and alfalfa do not and loose to weathering on the top side.

If you expect to tarp a stack, stack the hay over prepositioned ropes and use these ropes for tie down anchors.

To each their own.


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

Here's the last one we did. Just got the roof on in June. Yes it was expensive , but not compared to building something new, and it has a lot of character to boot.

















and here is the barn at my place:


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Beautiful. The brown metal looks very nice. The wood shakes are very attractive also. Really classic barns.

Regards, Mike


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