# Hay/Straw Storage



## ScottJR (Feb 11, 2017)

Hi All,

As a newbie let me off as you probably have covered this topic a million times but what are the options for long term storage (12+ months) if you dont have a Shed/Barn?

Cheers,


----------



## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Do you really want to store for 12+ months? If you're not going to use it within 12 months, sell it for the cash while it still has some value, and make a fresh batch next season.


----------



## notmydaytoday (Sep 16, 2016)

If a person stacked them on pallets put pallets on top of the pile for air flow.

Then wrap in plastic then put a heavy tarp on top should make them last.

I am going to do it that way and hope it works till I can sale mine.


----------



## bbos2 (Mar 20, 2015)

Straw is much better to store outside. Biggest reason is if there is a little damage its less expensive. I usually just stack the top of the bales into a peak. Than you don't have to wrestle other things around on top of stack.

Good tarps are worth the money. If you skimp on cheap tarps the damage will be more. I have a lot stacked outside this year and it got wet out. I will from now on be using underlayment on everything. Where I did the bottom bales were in great shape. Its worth the extra hassle.

I will try to dig up some pictrues of some tarped stacks. Big squares or smalls?


----------



## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

It works until a couple of days after Christmas in a crazy rain and wind storm you get a call saying your tarp is loose. When you get there it split the tarp down the middle and shredded the ends. You sit and kick yourself after it being the 3rd expensive hay tarp with pipe loops etc to fail within 4 months of being put on. I don't know why I keep giving tarps a chance, they always break my heart. I believe I have a previous post of a similar heavy tarp shredding in a 3" rain storm that was covering an already sold load of square bales. 1200$ gone like that. Lost a couple of loads a few years before that, please someone slap me in the head if I ever talk about trying tarps again lol

These aren't transport truck grade tarps but they were 24x48' weigh about 60 lbs in the package tarps.


----------



## bbos2 (Mar 20, 2015)

slowzuki said:


> It works until a couple of days after Christmas in a crazy rain and wind storm you get a call saying your tarp is loose. When you get there it split the tarp down the middle and shredded the ends. You sit and kick yourself after it being the 3rd expensive hay tarp with pipe loops etc to fail within 4 months of being put on. I don't know why I keep giving tarps a chance, they always break my heart. I believe I have a previous post of a similar heavy tarp shredding in a 3" rain storm that was covering an already sold load of square bales. 1200$ gone like that. Lost a couple of loads a few years before that, please someone slap me in the head if I ever talk about trying tarps again lol


What kind of tarps do you use?

I use Inland. They have made it through several inches of rain and multiple windy days. Couple up to 50mph and many right around 30-40mph. And now it will be awile till I get to that stack . back a lane and things are thawing here


----------



## notmydaytoday (Sep 16, 2016)

I am doing small squares.


----------



## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

They are relabelled with a local supplier branding so who knows where they come from. The one this year was doing great we had 60 or 80 something 4x5 bales on pallets. Tied ropes on pallets as we loaded the bales so tarp was tied every 4 ft and used the nylon webbing loops when we could. Tightened twice over the fall.

Noticed the end that had the extra looked dull after a windstorm so tied it down folded tight against the pallets. Had perfect confidence, I drive past the farm it's at everyday and kept an eye on it. The other end with only 6" overhang was threaded to pull it tight but from what I can tell got flapping and tore just off centre of the peak, that run went along one bale depth until the tension from the next tie down stopped it. But then apparently it flapped and restarted the run at the peak and ran the whole length.

It was 55 mph gusts in a wide open area but it had been through 4 or 5 good blows before that.


----------



## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

slowzuki said:


> It works until a couple of days after Christmas in a crazy rain and wind storm you get a call saying your tarp is loose. When you get there it split the tarp down the middle and shredded the ends. You sit and kick yourself after it being the 3rd expensive hay tarp with pipe loops etc to fail within 4 months of being put on. I don't know why I keep giving tarps a chance, they always break my heart. I believe I have a previous post of a similar heavy tarp shredding in a 3" rain storm that was covering an already sold load of square bales. 1200$ gone like that. Lost a couple of loads a few years before that, please someone slap me in the head if I ever talk about trying tarps again lol
> These aren't transport truck grade tarps but they where 24x48' weigh about 60 lbs in the package tarps.


I have a hate relationship with tarps for everything!

I have a couple of dome shelters and bought used billboard vinyl tarps/sides to cover them. Got 2 years out of one and a year out of the other. The wind is unbelievable on our farm - I'm surprised they held as long as they did.


----------



## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

notmydaytoday said:


> I am doing small squares.


Small squares need to be stored inside, increasing production costs, which is one reason of many that they sell for more $. Selling for more $ doesn't always equal more profit.


----------



## bbos2 (Mar 20, 2015)

.


----------



## notmydaytoday (Sep 16, 2016)

Dan_GA said:


> Small squares need to be stored inside, increasing production costs, which is one reason of many that they sell for more $. Selling for more $ doesn't always equal more profit.


I know they need to be stored inside but need to get by with what i have till i can build a hay barn.

Thinking of using a car big car port and covering three sides as i will not have much hay to store I hope.

Right now I am working on getting it sold before it even hits the ground so that it doesn't have to be stored on my place at all.

John,


----------



## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

bbos2 said:


> .


Not saying they can't be, but not the best. A lot of customers down here won't buy net wrapped round bales if they were stored outside, tarped or not.


----------



## Dan_GA (Dec 29, 2015)

notmydaytoday said:


> I know they need to be stored inside but need to get by with what i have till i can build a hay barn.
> 
> Thinking of using a car big car port and covering three sides as i will not have much hay to store I hope.
> 
> ...


That's the best way to do it. My cousin in Tx puts an ad on CL a few days before she bales. Most of the time, she has to pick very little up herself. Charges about a dollar less for the bale, but she doesn't have to handle them, nor store them. Saw someone figure the math to about $0.25 every time they had to touch a sq bale. Pick up from field, load in barn, load on trailer, unload at customer's... that's $1.


----------



## bbos2 (Mar 20, 2015)

I agree Dan inside a barn is always the best. I could justify more barn space and probably will add on, or build another soon. But for me tarps will always be a necessary evil. Thts why I just take the time and money to do a good job tarping.

Logistics are the biggest reason I tarp. Last year I filled my barn and all my stacking space at home base. I then moved to the next county 15mile to the west. I was out of storage at home and had a good place to put a stack out there so I was able to move tarps there. This year no wheat got planted in the Western county but a bunch did in a northern county. I own some ground in the northern county so I can now move my tarps up there for my extra storage. These 2 stack sites are far away from each other. So it's hard for me not to use tarps. I wouldn't no where to build


----------



## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

notmydaytoday said:


> I know they need to be stored inside but need to get by with what i have till i can build a hay barn.
> 
> Thinking of using a car big car port and covering three sides as i will not have much hay to store I hope.
> 
> ...


Yeah, if I was building hay storage that's what I'd do. Those metal carports are pretty cheap and pretty stout, especially if you expansion bolt them down to a concrete slab, which is what we have for a tractor shed/shop. Screw some cheap tin from Lowe's on three sides and you've got good cheap hay storage. The only caveat is, I'd be sure to put some kind of flashing on the ends of the roof tin to make sure that water coming off the roof is directed elsewhere and doesn't end up getting on any hay inside... that's the weakest point of those carports IMHO...

If it's gonna be a pretty much "permanent" solution (you don't plan to tear it out and replace it with something else on the same spot later) I'd put down a good plastic moisture barrier and mesh and have a slab poured for it. If it's more of a 'semi permanent' or temporary deal, put a good tarp down as a ground cloth and cover it with some coarse stone to keep the bottom of the hay dry, and there ya go. Or, you could use wood or plastic pallets to keep the bales off the ground.

Later! OL J R


----------



## Fossil02818 (May 31, 2010)

You don't say how many small squares that you are planning on storing so my recommendation may not work if you are trying to store several thousand. However, for one or two thousand bales this has worked well for me. I have purchased three well used 48' moving van trailers with the lower decks and extra side doors. The trailers each hold between 550 and 650 small squares. The double interior walls with ventilated and ribbed sides for attaching the various tie points and securing bars used by the movers provides excellent ventilation around the stored bales. The side and back doors make loading and unloading much easier than walking the full length of the trailer. Yes, it is all hand loaded, but, we are a small operation. The trailers are not a permanent solution, but, they do not have property taxes like a building does. I paid between $2500 and $3500 for each of them and their scrap value is at least half that. Over seven years my only expense has been a few tubes of silicone sealer to repair roof leaks around rivets and seams. Also, I have them parked right at the hay field so its pretty efficient as far as transport goes. Maybe a similar storage arrangement could work for you.


----------



## notmydaytoday (Sep 16, 2016)

I have a 38ac. hay field right now if haying goes go this year going to section if off and get cows to go on 10ac. then ill need to store enough to get cows threw winter and what ever i cant sell out of field and have to store till it does.


----------



## Fossil02818 (May 31, 2010)

If you are primarily interested in feeding your cows wouldn't round bales be better?


----------



## notmydaytoday (Sep 16, 2016)

I will only be able to get a couple of cows to start so small squares will be less wasteful and any I don't need sell for a better price. I have a couple who want small squares to feed goats as they only have a small pickup to haul with.

John,


----------



## ScottJR (Feb 11, 2017)

Idealy you would sell and use up straight away unless you area feedlot or dairy where you need hay all year round.

Not necesarily loking to build sheds to cover approx 5000+tonne of hay/straw and large 8x4x3 bales.Issues with tarps etc are that when relying on others are that tarps look good when there is no wind but the rip during storms.

So is there any other options?

Cheers


----------

