Holding down hay tarps ?

[Stocker Steve]

We have not found a great way to hold down hay tarps. My latest idea was to put surplus cement blocks along the edges. Any tips here?

[Banjo]

There is no real good way, thats why I don't use them anymore. However, if you don't mind cutting down on the full number that you can get under one, lay out your tarp and set a row of bales on the edge of the tarp on the side that has the prevailing wind then do a 3-2 stack instead of a 3-2-1 then cover it......set a few bales against the far side and one on each end on top of the tarp.
You will have some sacrificial bales but it won't come off.
You can use blocks, tires, etc. but you will always have a job cleaning it up when your done, this way you don't have any extra work and you're not up as high when you are putting it on too.

[Richardin52]

I am very windy where I am and use Misouri hay tarps. They use a hay pin and strap system that works very well. If you use this system and use plenty of straps there is no way your tarp will go anywhere.

[Farmgirl]

This is how we do it. Set hay on wood pallets. Use billboard covers for tarps. Put hay in one long row. Use 2 ropes and criss cross (like shoe laces). Loop to rope to the pallets that the hay is setting on. We have had tarps stay put through a hurricane. May flop a little on the ends but that is all.

My two cents.

Farmgirl

[J&D Cattle]

We run rope under each row of bales and then tie to each side of the tarp leaving the ends exposed for air flow. Works really well.

[Dave]

I toss rope over the pile and tie an old tire to each end with the tires about a foot off the ground. I do this about every 8 feet with 3 or 4 at the end of the pile. The tarp will move and flap in the wind but it stays put. Every time I try to tie it down solid the tarp rips. Or the wind gets under it somehow and works it loose until it blows it off.

[Stocker Steve]

Scouter Steve is good with ropes, but we just got rid of all the old tires that came with the place...

[Dave]

Actually I have more old half rooten corral boards for the weight than tires and the rope I use is bale twine from the big squares. It cuts into the tarp less than regular smaller twine and it is free from the dairy up the road.

[Aaron]

I toss the rope and tires over the width of the stack, with some space in between. Guarantee not to blow or rip.

[houstoncutter]

I always put a strand of heavy electric fence wire down for each row, then this was tied to the tarp. Went through Hurricane Rita and Ike, lost one set of tarps during Ike to a tornado , stacks a few hundred yards away made it just fine.

The county cops thought I had lost my mind when I was tarping the hay before the Rita storm... Some stopped and told me I was wasting my time... One of em told me they even had a pot going as to how many tarps I would still have after the storm..Lol,,,same cop stopped before Ike to talk to me..Asked him if they had a pot this time....he laughed and said they were gonna park by my hay stacks... said I must had a pact with the good Lord or the Devil.

[midniteplowboyy]

I use telephone poles along each side of the stack with large staples driven in them to lace the rope through. There the only cheap thing I've found that works. Use a quality rope and retighten ocassionally as the stack shrinks/settles, I had some alfalfa under a tarp for 3-4 years and only had to retighten prolly twice, came out as good as I put it in except for some ground rot and mishaped from being stacked. If you keep the wind from getting under the tarp they will last along time and you'll have few problems, tie it poorly with week rope or to tires or something to light like I did at first and the wind gets under it breaking the eyes in the tarp or the rope and its a never ending night mare.

Now the only thing I dont like about the tarps is when it comes to feeding out of the stack, but its not as bad with having something good to tie it back too, I usually roll the tarp back 2-3 deep at a time and retie the rops to the poles.

[Floyd]

Old billboards have pockets.

I put hay on pallets, build a peak in the stack, & tarp it.

I have 1/4" pipe I was going to use for portable fencing. Run that thru the pockets on the tarp & guy it to the pallets.. I have to tighten the guys every now & then.

Sometimes I can throw a50# bale away from me & it comes back so it is windy here.

[wideurt]

Check out Missouri Hay Tarps They have a perfect system. Easy and you can do it yourself. Lil help is handy but can do it yourself. They have prongs and you fasten your tarps to your hay Used them for three years and never lost a tarp

[greybeard]

I just got a couple of covers from my brother that came off the cotton field wagons, and I intend to cover hay with them. 30'L--8 ft across the top and 8' side flaps. They look promising, heavy duty stuff tho they do still have the cotton gin's name on the side of them.