# Economical Temporary Hay Storage?



## Dolphin (May 21, 2010)

We can't swing a nice pole building or new barn just yet. I would like ideas on temporarily storing our grass hay crop. We hope to be filling every available space with a roof this year with the exception of our little "cottage". If we get lucky and there is more hay than room, are there any good options?

Thanks in advance for any ideas and replies!


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## Haymike56 (May 3, 2010)

Try this site. I am using thier tarps to cover rounds but if you go to this site and look at products and then click on side tarps it shows a photo of small squares under tarp. I have been using the round covers for about 6 years and as long as you keep them tied down they seem to last about 4 seasons. Thier tie down system is great, very simple and strong.
inlandtarp.com/about/


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## OneManShow (Mar 17, 2009)

Tarps are about the only temporary thing I know of. Around here it is WET in the fall winter and spring. If the tarps aren't put on the stack just so, you'll see a lot of damage. Stack needs to be right too, to shed water. Even well stacked and well tarped, around here seems there's still quite a bit of damage to sides bottoms and ends.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I have been using hay tarps from ADM for 4 years now. They look very similar to the ones from inland tarp. I like them and they work well as long as you get the right size, make a good bale, build a good stack and keep them tight. My first 3 tarps were 25x48(?). I still use them and I added 3 tarps that are 25x30'. I make my bales 56-58"x5'. I overlap the smaller tarps over the bigger ones to give me a stack that can be 15 bales long.

I personally like the smaller tarps in that they are easier to handle by myself. The bigger ones take 2-3 people to put on and put away.

Yesterday, I ordered a pony wall hoop building 42x60 from Farmtek. I plan on putting it on a 6-7' pony wall to give me the height inside. I am planning for double use: big rounds 4 high or small squares dumped from bale wagon (7 high on edge). As a rough estimate, I figure I can get about 250 round bales in it. Three guys around here have been using this building for grain storage build on a concrete wall and floor. I'm guessing if it's good enough for corn and beans, it'll be good enough for hay.

I plan on continuing to use the tarps for my excess production or poorer quality.

Ralph


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Rd bale it,IF you have use for it or can sell them there.









Contrary to alot of poeple opinion rd bales can be stored outside with very little spoilage.You just have to do a few things.TIGHT bales.Netwrap or alot of plastic twine,stored in well drained area in single rows end to end TIGHT,gap in between rows so they are not touching.DON"T stack them.
.

I say BS when people say you get 6" of spoiled hay with rd bales.

Grass hay sheds water like a thatched roof and up hear it is froze all winter anyway.









Get it used up before spring thaws.


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## Haymike56 (May 3, 2010)

I also have a hoop building that I use for storage. It is a Coverall 40 X 80 and I built the base out of concrete blocks that the local redi mix plant makes with left over concrete. I placed the blocks on the ground 2 high giving me a 4' high x 2' thick wall to put the building on. The cows can't rub those corners off. I tried stacking the bales on end and that works great. last year I had 220 bales in the building and still had about 30' in the front for equip. The building cost me 16k 4 years ago.


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## rank (Apr 15, 2009)

$130/ton + trucking for dry hay. $30 + trucking for mushroom hay. That pays for a coverall in one year plus you haven't wasted time, money and labor costs on tarps


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## Dolphin (May 21, 2010)

rank said:


> $130/ton + trucking for dry hay. $30 + trucking for mushroom hay. That pays for a coverall in one year plus you haven't wasted time, money and labor costs on tarps


Can I borrow your _MX150 + LBX332 roto-cut, 7110 + LBX431Packer, 7110 + Hesston 8575, 7120 + Hesston 8579, Agco/Hesston 15' self propelled discbine, Agland Macerator, 8 basket Vermeer tedder, Stinger Stacker, ~1,000,000 cu ft of storage, 4 Kenworth highway tractors, 8 trailers, 5000+ tons and 300,000 miles per year...... _?


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I looked for Coverall, but I had heard they went bankrupt because of a collapse at a Texas rangers (Cowboys?) practice facility. A lady near me has 3 of them for a riding arena, stalls and storage. I was very impressed with it!

Last year I got a quote on concrete blocks 2.5x2.5x5' at $70 each. That seemed pretty pricey to me: 66 blocks about $4600 plus hauling. I am planning on putting a pony wall on 4x6' spaced on 4' centers.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks

Ralph


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Ouch...70 each? I paid 30 or 35 for mine. I only went one row high and left a gap between em so I have 2 rafters on each block. Had a little over 14k in my Clearspan 42x96. No end walls, so on the west end (our prevailing wind end here) I just place 2 or 3 rows of hay I intend to feed our beefcows. I did pay extra for the roll up sides for extra ventilation and that ran about seven bucks a running foot, so figure $1344 extra over the cost of a building with no ends.

The guy that's been wrapping our baleage says when he runs outa room for his dry hay, he wraps that as well.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

The price on the bocks is what they'd go for around here. We had thought about a hoop building a few years back, cause they were a LOT cheaper than a pole shed, but till we'd have paid for the 'pony' wall, we'd have darn near the cost of the pole shed anyway, and still have a tarp that needs replaced - a tall pony wall makes them real high in the center - how does the wind affect them?

Rodney


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