# round bale storage/heating



## JMT (Aug 10, 2013)

Have some questionable round bales (thick stems did not dry easy and very variable ground moisture). How long till you would feel comfortable that they will not heat anymore?


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Length of heating will be determined by moisture content of hay when baled. Higher moisture will heat longer. Stem moisture in hay will heat longer than dew moisture.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I usually allow two weeks or more before I stack BR's in my hay barn. I put them single height, butted end to end and side to side in the barn, then restack them. If I'm in doubt, I check the temps every day or so on a dozen bales, then I know I'm good when the temps all start dropping. I hate the smell of burning hay.

Ralph


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## siscofarms (Nov 23, 2010)

I know weather and schedules and life in general can dictate baling , but for the fact you don't want to have moldy hay , the fact that rolling green hay makes for ugly rolls when it does heat and shrinkage occurs , about a week later you got old chain baler looking bales , and then the cost of making all this . I have gotten to leaving something Im gonna roll in the field an extra day < IF I CAN > just because of all the above . One little chunk of green can ruin 1000 lbs of hay .


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I once put them straight into the barn. Now I let them sweat for a few days, some a few weeks if I an busy with other fields and do not have time to haul.

I was feeding hay out of a friends barn this past spring. The hay in the middle of his barn was two years old. He had fed and replaced from the ends.

When we got those middle rolls out, they were hot. He remembered rolling then a little damp, ahead of rain. The rolls were left out to sweat a few days before being hauled to the barn.

When I say the rolls were hot, I mean hot, not warm.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Tim/South said:


> When we got those middle rolls out, they were hot. He remembered rolling then a little damp, ahead of rain. The rolls were left out to sweat a few days before being hauled to the barn.
> 
> When I say the rolls were hot, I mean hot, not warm.


Do you mean they were still hot, or that they showed signs of having been hot?

If they were still hot, that means he probably had more like balage because now oxygen was getting in there an activiting the mold spores. If they had been hot, take that guy to the casino, bankroll him and allow him to bet on whatever he wants--he was doggone lucky!

Ralph


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

rjmoses said:


> Do you mean they were still hot, or that they showed signs of having been hot?
> 
> If they were still hot, that means he probably had more like balage because now oxygen was getting in there an activiting the mold spores. If they had been hot, take that guy to the casino, bankroll him and allow him to bet on whatever he wants--he was doggone lucky!
> 
> Ralph


They were hot. You could not keep your hand on them very long. The hay was still trying to cure.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Tim/South said:


> They were hot. You could not keep your hand on them very long. The hay was still trying to cure.


If I understand what you're saying correctly, you took two year old hay out of the barn and it was hot.

That means that it had been sealed off from oxygen similarly to silage nor was it allowed to breathe because it was still wet. Nor had it fermented like silage.

Hmmmm??

And take your friend to the casino--he's lucky!

Ralph


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Generally the only time two year old hay is hot coming out of the barn is because the roof leaked on them a few days before.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

The barn is dry, relatively new. The hay was put up with more moisture than he realized.

I have had a roof leak and it just spoiled a little on the outside of the roll. For a roll to have heat I imagine it would need to come from with in.

My friend was scared and knew he was lucky. We moved the rest of the hay outside and far away from anything that could catch fire. We were concerned the fresh air might cause the hay to ignite.

The hay smelled sweet, not sour. My cows ate every stem of it.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Tim/South said:


> The hay smelled sweet, not sour. My cows ate every stem of it.


Sounds like baleage.

Ralph


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

Tim/South said:


> The barn is dry, relatively new. The hay was put up with more moisture than he realized.
> I have had a roof leak and it just spoiled a little on the outside of the roll. For a roll to have heat I imagine it would need to come from with in.
> My friend was scared and knew he was lucky. We moved the rest of the hay outside and far away from anything that could catch fire. We were concerned the fresh air might cause the hay to ignite.
> The hay smelled sweet, not sour. My cows ate every stem of it.


Sounds like it caramelized. Had a friend buy some mulch hay of me to mulch his garden. It was year old. Was rained on several times in the field before baling. Baled a little tough, but not to bad. Stored outside. My friend said that when they peeled the bale, it was hot on the inside.


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

Typically I don't have the weather that affords me to let the rounds sweat out side. They go right into the barn stacked 3 high x 4 wid, plastic then pallets on he ground. The bottom two are on end the top on its roll side. Our barn is well ventilated and I try to leave space on the sides. This year first cut was dicey, I didn't put anything in the barn above 16 + - %. The heating made me very nervous. I was getting temps up to 110. I was told that was ok, if they got up to 130 I should get them out of the barn. Any thoughts or rules of thumb on tempature?


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

DSLinc1017 said:


> . Any thoughts or rules of thumb on tempature?


http://www.extension.org/pages/66577/preventing-fires-in-baled-hay-and-straw#.Verhe3A8KrU


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## DSLinc1017 (Sep 27, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> http://www.extension.org/pages/66577/preventing-fires-in-baled-hay-and-straw#.Verhe3A8KrU


Thank you! This is a good article.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)




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