# Hay preservative to prevent musty/moldy bottom bales??



## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

I've searched the forums but haven't seen this addressed -- if it has been please direct me there.

Has anyone used any type of 'product' to prevent the bottom bales in the stack from smelling musty and possibly forming mold?

The hay was baled at low teen moisture (baler mounted moisture tester, probe moisture tester, and old time experience of baling hay). The hay is stored on edge by balewagon on floor of 10 mil plastic covered with geotextile fabric to prevent a layer of gravel from punching holes in the plastic. Ground moisture is not getting in at this point. [FYI: fabric on plastic is slick & there is a story in itself there  ]

Was wondering about either applying the 'product' to the bales on the balewagon that would be on the bottom or directly to the gravel layer.

Have absolutely no knowledge of using anything on hay to help cure, preserve, etc. Your experiences and thoughts greatly appreciated.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Sounds like it would be worth a try. Might want to try a non-acid type of preservative and apply heavily.....and try a acid type also on another load and see if there is a different response.

Regards, Mike


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Moisture from the stack will condense against the floor as it tries to leave. The ground is colder that the dewpoint. You need to move air through the area by spacing it up off the floor. A cheap approach is to break open straw or hay that has been up for more than a year over the area before setting hay down. It will sop up some moisture, insulate the newer hay from the floor, and be a sacrificial layer.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

slowzuki, had decided the condensation was causing the problem. Had seen about using the sacrificial layer and thought that would be a solution.

vol, may try to find a small quantity and experiment. Don't think will spray the acid version on the balewagon -- prefer to not rust out the rolling rack and rest of wagon on this idea as nothing seems to work this year!


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

What about spreading a layer of salt on the floor before you set your stack down? It may help draw out any moisture that may accumulate in to bottom layer?


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The salt can't really hold much moisture and it can't get up off the floor into the bales except where it touches. If you could get it dusted into the bottom layer of bales evenly maybe?


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

I've been using a garden hand sprayer to apply prop to asphalt floor, pallets, and wood barn floors for years. This is under bandit bundles. It helps, at least for a while. The longer it remains the more likely it will show damage. As mentioned the real key is very dry hay to start with for best results. The prop will damage concrete, never saw a problem with asphalt . Years ago a commercial grower told me he breaks a bag of cured shavings under each stack and sells every bale #1. Said the heat made shavings a sterile environment with no mold culture. Should add that was on concrete, a luxury to be sure.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

SVFHAY said:


> I've been using a garden hand sprayer to apply prop to asphalt floor, pallets, and wood barn floors for years. This is under bandit bundles. It helps, at least for a while. The longer it remains the more likely it will show damage. As mentioned the real key is very dry hay to start with for best results. The prop will damage concrete, never saw a problem with asphalt . Years ago a commercial grower told me he breaks a bag of cured shavings under each stack and sells every bale #1. Said the heat made shavings a sterile environment with no mold culture. Should add that was on concrete, a luxury to be sure.


Thanks. About how long before the damage starts? Any brand you recommend? Hadn't thought of shavings but had thought about dry sawdust -- the shavings would be much better.



Fowllife said:


> What about spreading a layer of salt on the floor before you set your stack down? It may help draw out any moisture that may accumulate in to bottom layer?


Probably doesn't make sense asking about corrosive preservatives but using salt just seems worse.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

slowzuki said:


> Moisture from the stack will condense against the floor as it tries to leave. The ground is colder that the dewpoint. You need to move air through the area by spacing it up off the floor. A cheap approach is to break open straw or hay that has been up for more than a year over the area before setting hay down. It will sop up some moisture, insulate the newer hay from the floor, and be a sacrificial layer.


We used to do this on a cement barn floor and it worked except we used ground corn cobs. In an extremely wet year or if the cobs had thin spots might get a little damage but nothing like if you didn't have cobs down. The barn floor started out for cows and didn't have a vapor barrier under it so whence the problems in a wet year.

When we still stacked idiot bricks in a loft and had animals under it we'd leave six inches of loose hay on the mow floor, once the animals were gone we'd sweep the floor clean and stack right on the wood as it wasn't a tight floor and had plenty of gaps for air.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Thats us, we have some sheep in the old dairy barn. I was pretty proud the year we finally got it all clean down to the floor, until I lost the bottom layer!



mlappin said:


> When we still stacked idiot bricks in a loft and had animals under it we'd leave six inches of loose hay on the mow floor, once the animals were gone we'd sweep the floor clean and stack right on the wood as it wasn't a tight floor and had plenty of gaps for air.


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## b2jrg (Jun 4, 2008)

Have been using this for years.

put roll of plastic down and put the black filter fabric (that they use to build roads) on top of the plastic. If the hay is the correct moisture it will not mold. Plastic keeps moisture from coming up and the filter fabric keeps the hay from sweating on the plastic.

I have used some of the plastic as much as 4 years and the filter fabric lasts forever.

I use a stack wagon and cut plastic and filter fabric in sections to match the stack size. If you use a grapple or hand stack it you would not have to cut into sections.

RockyHill reverse your plastic and filter fabric.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

b2jrg said:


> Have been using this for years.
> put roll of plastic down and put the black filter fabric (that they use to build roads) on top of the plastic. If the hay is the correct moisture it will not mold. Plastic keeps moisture from coming up and the filter fabric keeps the hay from sweating on the plastic.
> 
> I have used some of the plastic as much as 4 years and the filter fabric lasts forever.
> ...


Ours is plastic, then fabric with a layer of gravel. Have the entire barn done this way so can drive over with stackwagon. I've only taken out a couple of stacks so far with just a small amount of damage -- encouraged that you've been successful and it will work here. With the continual rainy weather it isn't a good indication of how anything is going to work. Thanks!


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

It is hear slapping simple.

A 4" pad of crushed rock or gravel, using golf ball to tennis ball sized rocks, Septic Tank Sized.

Works like a Champ, and pays for it's self the rirst year in hay saved.

All my hay in the barn is on rocks, as are many of my outside stored RB's.


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## hayfarmer (Nov 9, 2008)

I have a wooden floor with two layers of 6mil vid queen beneath. I put some crop saver preservative in a backpacker sprayer and spray the floor minutes before dumping a stack on the floor. 3 gallon of crop saver will cover enought area for 12 to 16 104 bale stacks. Timing is critial. The process will keep the bottom bale safe for 6 months and sometimes longer. I also use the crop saver on the hay while baling regardless of the moisture content in the hay. This is a little pricey but less expensive than losing a bunch of bottom bales.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

To follow up from 2013 hay storage. We didn't have much time between putting down the gravel and storing hay. The only places with any problems were where the gravel still had some moisture. Never tried using any preservative as I first ask about. *Our results: hay baled with proper moisture stored on the dry gravel on the fabric with the plastic under layer kept with no damage.*

Shelia


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

I have 6" of gravel on barn floor, Then hay goes on pallets with a heavy layer of wheat straw between hay and pallet. I stack everything on edge, and this has worked for me. Last cutting of year stays on wagon, works good too.


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