# Covering round bales



## Hogfarmer10 (Aug 23, 2020)

It’s probably been cussed and discussed before but just wondering. I’m wanting to use an old trench silo to store round bales in. It’s 120’ long, 15’ wide, side walls start at 4’ high, in the back it’s 15’ high. Sides and back end are completely vertical. Concrete walls and floor. Wondering if I could stack the bales (5’x5’) 3 wide on bottom, 3 wide above that, then 2 wide on top, and then cover it with silo plastic. What would be wrong with that? I could just drape the ends or completely seal it. Or am I just going to have to use several tarps? (And why?)


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

"Trench silo" what is that? Could you post a pic sometime I'd like to know....


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## Hogfarmer10 (Aug 23, 2020)

I would love to if I could figure out how to do it. It’s basically a pit dug into the ground with an open front. Walls on side and rear. This particular one’s floor is sloped slightly towards the front so the juices from the silage would run out.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Brother in law put a hoop building on top of their old trench silo, they use it for hay storage sometimes and have also used it for a cattle shelter at other times.


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## Hogfarmer10 (Aug 23, 2020)

I’m just wondering if covering hay with silo plastic instead of tarps would cause any problems.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

SCtrailrider said:


> "Trench silo" what is that? Could you post a pic sometime I'd like to know....


Up here they are called bunk silos. They are in ground storage for silage. Dumped in silage, push it around and then drive on to pack it in. Hope next couple years be putting a roof over mine to store hay in.

Most are now are a slab of concrete and maybe preformed walls and are referred to as silage piles.


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## Hayguy (Jun 4, 2008)

Sounds like storing hay in a swimming pool- what could go wrong? Saw a guy that put a roof over a double wide bunker silo. THAT was a great storage unit.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

X2 what Hayguy stated. Does trench/bunk silo have a drain so rainwater can leave floor & go to soil? I think storing rd bales directly on concrete will have its own moisture problems.


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## Hogfarmer10 (Aug 23, 2020)

#1. Floor is sloped. #2. The plastic would divert any rain water to the soil, not to the concrete. The inside would be completely dry. 
I'm just wanting to know about covering the hay with plastic. Any issues with that? I would be using white 6 mil plastic. Would it get too hot on the top of the bales? Should I seal the ends tight or just drape the ends?


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

From your description of roof height at the far end it won't tent as the stack will be too short. Water laying pooled over hay is bad news.

In terms of plastic touching the bales, when initially loaded in there you will have sweating that cant escape where the plastic touches and at night the first while you will get some rain inside if you don't leave the ends open. It's very similar to tarping, fresh bales are the highest risk of getting moisture problems if directly loaded in there.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Hayguy said:


> Sounds like storing hay in a swimming pool- what could go wrong? Saw a guy that put a roof over a double wide bunker silo. THAT was a great storage unit.





Tx Jim said:


> X2 what Hayguy stated. Does trench/bunk silo have a drain so rainwater can leave floor & go to soil? I think storing rd bales directly on concrete will have its own moisture problems.


Here is a picture of my bunk silo for reference. soon I hope to put a roof over it and I would be stacking on pallets.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Hogfarmer10 said:


> #1. Floor is sloped. #2. The plastic would divert any rain water to the soil, not to the concrete. The inside would be completely dry.
> I'm just wanting to know about covering the hay with plastic. Any issues with that? I would be using white 6 mil plastic. Would it get too hot on the top of the bales? Should I seal the ends tight or just drape the ends?


Back in the day when I used to store hay under tarps I'd stack what I was gonna store in a building that used used for 3rd and 4th cuttings, first cutting went under tarps. After it had sat and sweated out for 6 weeks or so I'd move it all to where we stacked it then covered with tarps, if not allowed to sweat out first it will mold every where a tarp touches it.


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