# Small Square Storage



## Vol

Progressive Forage Grower on small square storage.

Regards, Mike

http://www.progressi...rage&Itemid=123


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN

Mike, I have not heard any more about people using asphalt as their floor of choice. I would have thought we would have heard how that worked by now. maybe I just missed it. Did Barry Bowen do asphalt or maybe Tim Hall? Mike


----------



## Vol

NDVA HAYMAN said:


> Mike, I have not heard any more about people using asphalt as their floor of choice. Mike


Agree, think without doubt that base coat asphalt is the way to go. You know Rodney put it down but never would say how he liked it. Concrete is alot of expense for near zero benefit. Dont know about Tim or Barry. Everyone that I know or heard from that used base asphalt were very happy with the results.

Regards, Mike


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN

You are right. It was Rodney. Maybe he will tell us. thanks, Mike


----------



## mlappin

something else, in my county, if I pour concrete in one of my hoop buildings, it is now considered a pernament structure and will be placed on the property tax roles, however if I use asphalt it's still considered a temporary structure and is property tax exempt.


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN

They must have took the short bus to school!


----------



## slowzuki

Here they tax you on an asphalt pad as its a capital improvement but the tarp building on top would still be non-taxed. There is a mine near by with giant rolls of used 5 ft wide conveyor out weathering, I'm thinking that is my answer.


----------



## Teslan

It must be different in other parts of the country with humidity, but I would never put asphalt or concrete down or my bottom bales would go bad. Most everyone around here if the hay is stored inside just puts in on the plain ground with maybe a thin layer of old hay. Never has been a problem in the 25 years I've been dealing with hay inside storage. And over time as hay falls off the balers as it's stacked and loaded up there gets to be a nice 1-2 inch layer of old hay on the floor. This winter I left one bale on our tractor shed's floor, which is cement, and the bottom of the bale molded. Now outside hay is a different story.


----------



## slowzuki

You live in a very dry area, most places the ground holds a lot of moisture. As an example, if I lay a piece of plastic vapour barrier on the ground here, within minutes the underside of it starts forming droplets that drip off. The soil, if it had dried on the top layer, quickly turns dark from the moisture trapped under the plastic.



Teslan said:


> It must be different in other parts of the country with humidity, but I would never put asphalt or concrete down or my bottom bales would go bad. Most everyone around here if the hay is stored inside just puts in on the plain ground with maybe a thin layer of old hay. Never has been a problem in the 25 years I've been dealing with hay inside storage. And over time as hay falls off the balers as it's stacked and loaded up there gets to be a nice 1-2 inch layer of old hay on the floor. This winter I left one bale on our tractor shed's floor, which is cement, and the bottom of the bale molded. Now outside hay is a different story.


----------



## Rodney R

I just happened to see this thread..... We have asphalt in 2 buildings and concrete in another, and plain ole dirt in another. All of them have a few inches of sawdust (I'm in the process of trying chopped rye straw to keep the dust down.) and all of them seem to work about the same, but the asphalt might have a slight advantage. I stack right on the floor in all of them - I use proprionic acid on the area the stack will occupy right before I unload. 2 years ago we had a severe drought, and all of the floor bales were 100% perfect. Last year we had a lot of rain, and the bottom bales were not perfect, but not spoiled. So I'm not certain about which is best, but I think we will find the asphalt to be better. I like the fact that it was a real quick operation (when it was laid), and the water will drain away. That is why I'm trying so rye straw - I think the sawdust holds water. The building with the dirt floor - everything gets stacked on pallets in there, so it's not an apples to apples comparison.

Rodney


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN

Thanks Rodney for that update. I would definately go with asphalt in my next barn. Mike


----------



## RockmartGA

I've got a pole barn with gravel floor that I stack small squares under. First year I stacked on wooden pallets and lost the bottom layer. Now, I put down heavy mil plastic and stack on wooden pallets on top of that.

As we say in the South, It ain't the heat, it's the humidity....


----------



## Vol

RockmartGA said:


> As we say in the South, It ain't the heat, it's the humidity....


Amen to that brother!

Regards, Mike


----------



## Vol

Yesterday(friday) at 1:30 the humidity was 32%.....I have not seen it that low in June too many times in my life, but the temp was also only 82 degrees.....it was terrific!

Regards, Mike


----------



## ButchAutomatic

We put a strip of asphalt in barn stacked hay on it bottom bales went to crap trying it again this year. Might try the proponic acid sprayed on it just before stacking

Butch


----------



## rjmoses

I usually spray my wood floors with a 50% solution of household bleach to kill any surface bacteria and fungi. I wet it down enough so that there is just a little solution standing on the surface, let it dry thoroughly before stacking hay on it.

Ralph


----------



## Chuck

I was just talking to a farmer that puts Silo stop under his bottom row,,,, he said he never loses a bale . Silo stop is a covering for trench silo's.


----------



## Guest

Round here guys say asphalt will prevent any damage. Couple people ive heard installed it. I stack on dirt. Figure cost of asphalt or concrete is too much. Give bottom bales to the cattle if it gets too bad


----------



## mlappin

Teslan said:


> It must be different in other parts of the country with humidity, but I would never put asphalt or concrete down or my bottom bales would go bad. Most everyone around here if the hay is stored inside just puts in on the plain ground with maybe a thin layer of old hay. Never has been a problem in the 25 years I've been dealing with hay inside storage. And over time as hay falls off the balers as it's stacked and loaded up there gets to be a nice 1-2 inch layer of old hay on the floor. This winter I left one bale on our tractor shed's floor, which is cement, and the bottom of the bale molded. Now outside hay is a different story.


Stacking hay on a old layer of hay in direct contact of the ground is guaranteed to cause moldy bales here.

Several inches of railroad rock with hay on the pallets still might result in a very light surface mold here in a wet year.

Since asphalt is petroleum based it acts as a vapor barrier as well.


----------

