# Square bale storage



## Coniberty Acres (8 mo ago)

Thinking about putting up a small barn to hold small square bales of hay. How tall do you guys recommend to build it? I have a bunch of 10’ tin but thinking 12-14’ tall walls would be better. Also do you think a 3 sided slant roof shed or a 3 sided truss style? 20’x40’ might be the size. I will have to get out and measure the spot to see what will fit in there. Also open to any pics or plans of small square bale storage ideas


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

If you use, or plan to use, mechanical materials handling equipment, such as a grapple, then taller is better. Also, the extra clearance is nice if you decide to store a loaded trailer under cover. I have no preference for the style of roof, but considerations such as snow load may be a factor depending on where you live.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Build it as high as you can. When we stack big squares 5 high ,3x3, in your machine shed on pallets , we are right under the trusses. I think actual measure is between 14 and 15ft. Don't remember exact. When we did small squares in bale wagons we would have to watch if a bale was sticking up and hit the door track with 14 ft door's. If your business continues to grow you may get a grapple or stack wagon or load out a semi van trailer at 13 ft 6 in. And if the hay business doesn't work you can store other things. My neighbors shed had 18 ft walls.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

When I built my initial shop/hay shed I was picking up ground drop bales and loading a flat bed trailer. 10’ clear height for doors was plenty. When I went to a kicker baler with wagons 10’ was not enough. The point is plan for any future system. 14’ door clear height works for all kicker wagons regardless off how much bales stick up on top. 14’ clear height is supposed to be sufficient for stacker wagons as well. I suspect 14’ will allow any type of bundle systems as well. 14’ clear height doors will mean your trusses height will be slightly higher but not much.

now how much higher than that you set your trusses is a function of your wallet capacity and how you will get the bales stacked meaning do you have an elevator or the lift height of your loader or skidsteer. Generally going up is cheaper than out for additional storage capacity. Free stacking gets a little unstable above 11-12 feet if you are a stack on edge guy like me. My floors are stone dust and #8 stone (1/4”) then used quarry belts and then pallets.

hth


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## Coniberty Acres (8 mo ago)

Thanks guys. I was thinking taller would be better. Trying to use used tin probably isn’t the best idea but the budget is always tight starting out in any new adventure. Having 10’ sheets I need to see what I could do if I cut some in have and do like 15’ walls or 14’6” and overlap them. Guess what I’m saying is I think a 20x30 with 14 walls would be better than a 30x40 with 10 walls? I can also use my used Tin on a couple sides and buy new for the ends or what not


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## Aaroncboo (Sep 21, 2014)

Taller would be better for the future especially if you get larger equipment. I have no shed tall enough to get my baler or tractors in and wish I did. That's what I get when all the buildings were built when a farmall H was the go to tractor. You can use the old tin on sides that you won't see and new tin on the other.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Nothing wrong with used tin. Shiny tin doesn't make good hay but can help for marketing. Use it where it shows to customers.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

I checked our shed this morning14ft clearance at the door and 14ft6 under the trusses. You are also going to appreciate the height if you use an elevator and hand stack hay in there otherwise you will be working in the trusses right away. Something like a 30x40 put 2 20 ft doors overlapping on the side so you can access one bay at a time, have multiple bays for 1st 2nd and 3rd crop and a bay for not so good hay otherwise when you bury 1st crop. 1st in last out.


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## HayMike (Mar 22, 2011)

Use the 10 foot tin, 2 high. At least 18 foot side walls, 14 foot doors. The space up top is cheap.


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## Coniberty Acres (8 mo ago)

Now I need to find a way to draw up some sketches 

looks like I have 

36 10’ matching painted tan like my shop

15 10’ grey (heavy gauge)

8 12’6” green
16 10’ green

the green looks just like what they sell at Menards, wouldn’t mind my roof that color and the tan for the walls because it would match my shop that it would be close too. They grey could face the neighbor 

looks like I could go 30x36 3 sided and only have to buy some roof tin. Would have 15’ in the back and like 17’ in the front I could patch the slant in with some of the extra tin I have off the couple old trusses from when we tore the old barn down. Slant roof might be easier to build? Don’t know never built a barn before not against getting some trusses if you guys think I should go that way


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Slant roof might be easier to build? Don’t know never built a barn before not against getting some trusses if you guys think I should go that way
[/QUOTE]

go look at a Lester barn and the way they do the roof, it’s killer efficient, not an inch of wasted lumber. Master trusses on 10’ centers wi 2 x4 roof perlins in hangers in between. If I were doing it, I would probably increase them to 2 x 6 especially if you get really high wind or heavy snow. 5/12 pitc.

lester uses laminated poles which are better than straight dimension lumber. I have four of these but I’m about at the point that if I built another shed I would use steel columns due to the excessively poor quality of ground contact treated wood even when you pay for the best grade.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I wouldn’t do anything less than 16’ high personally. 17-18’ ideally. But for all the bigger footprint you’re talking about, 16 feet should suffice. If you were building a 60x100 I’d say you’d be nuts to go with anything less than 20-22’. Everything is relative.

also be on the lookout for more used or cover sheets. Sometimes you can buy them rather reasonable, though other times people value them barely lower than brand new cut to length.


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

Another option to make the building taller with your existing tin. Find a complimentary color and wainscot it.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

PaulN said:


> Another option to make the building taller with your existing tin. Find a complimentary color and wainscot it.
> 
> View attachment 92652


good idea, hadn't even thought of that. Usually makes you cost more but if you are doing it yourself, it is a small matter especially if you already have a lot of the tin


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

A few years back we were using and accumulator and loaded on wagons then unloaded with grapple. We built a barn for that and before harvest of the next crop we found a NH 1044 Bale Wagon. Can unload but some extra height would make unloading easier. Sometime later we found a NH 1049 Bale Wagon that needs 17' overhead clearance. Jeff started off leaving off the last three bales on the last table loaded and raised the bed between trusses. One load he forgot to leave off those bales and it unloaded so he just goes with full load now. Still uses the 1044 on the outside runs because of braces with the 1049 in middle runs. This does mean we have some stacks of 15 bales to the layer and some with 18. If you're thinking long range, somewhere down the line the extra height will be beneficial.

Here is the specs for bale wagons:


Roeder Implement,



Shelia


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## Markpnw (Dec 27, 2019)

Coniberty Acres said:


> Now I need to find a way to draw up some sketches
> 
> looks like I have
> 
> ...


Make your tin horizontal it’ll look just as good. Or make the bottom base a different color and overlap.


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## Charles Prestridge (6 mo ago)

You need to figure out how you will span across the 30 or 36 ft width of barn. You do not want support columns on interior of barn. 

Trusses are most common. You can use metal trusses or wooden. Pole barns are very common in my area. Typically span either 10’ or 12’ between trusses. 2x6’s span between trusses.

Building a pole barn is not difficult, except lifting trusses. If you do not have a way to lift trusses, then you need to rent something. Also, have to brace trusses, to keep them from falling over, until they are tied together.

Because you want to make a clear span across the width, I do not think a slant roof makes it much easier/cheaper. 
If you are purchasing metal for the roof, get a price for 26 gauge metal. The thicker metal will hold up longer, be easier to walk on. With 28 or 29 gauge, you can only step where metal is supported underneath.


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## Charles Prestridge (6 mo ago)

See if you can find a truss manufacturer in your area. They will answer many of your questions. I used this company in 2019. They were fantastic. Should be similar companies in your area. 



https://jordantruss.com/


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## Markpnw (Dec 27, 2019)

Charles Prestridge said:


> You need to figure out how you will span across the 30 or 36 ft width of barn. You do not want support columns on interior of barn.
> 
> Trusses are most common. You can use metal trusses or wooden. Pole barns are very common in my area. Typically span either 10’ or 12’ between trusses. 2x6’s span between trusses.
> 
> ...


Trusses are a piece of cake to lift just requires two people; 4 is better but we did it just fine with two. Two extension ladders as well. Brace it all on the bottom then use 4 boat style winches and crank it up using the posts as support.


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## Coniberty Acres (8 mo ago)

Thank you all for the information. I will look at pricing some trusses. It looks like 30X30 would be about the size I could put in without a problem


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## Wandji (23 d ago)

Coniberty Acres said:


> Thinking about putting up a small barn to hold small square bales of hay. How tall do you guys recommend to build it? I have a bunch of 10’ tin but thinking 12-14’ tall walls would be better. Also do you think a 3 sided slant roof shed or a 3 sided truss style? 20’x40’ might be the size. I will have to get out and measure the spot to see what will fit in there. Also open to any pics or plans of small square bale storage ideas


How about storing them in a shipping container curtainsider ?


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