Building a hay barn...

[Cormac]

I have decided to build a hay barn. I have a 30 X 40 concrete foundation already in place with no floor. I plan to store round bales in it (if we ever get rain again). I have a few questions before I get going. How tall should the walls be? I know concrete floors are not the best choise to place hay directly on, so dirt floors are one option. Another is, gravel or driveway coleche (spelling?). Good idea, bad? I plan to wall it on three sides, with one side open. Is there a best side(North, South, East, or West) to have as the open side? Construction could be metal or wood? Leaning toward metal. Any suggestions?

 

[3MR]

I have never heard that, why arent concret pads a good option for hay storage? I know several people that use concrete pads.

 

[dun]

I prefer 2 inch rock about 6 inches deep for storing hay. It should be at a minimum 3 1/2 bales high, closer to 4 high would be better.

dun

 

[AngusLimoX]

I have never heard that, why arent concret pads a good option for hay storage? I know several people that use concrete pads.

Hay will suck the moisture right up through concrete, rot them just like they were on dirt.

You gotta get air moving under them somehow, I don't think heavy plastic will stop the moisture either.

 

[HAY MAKER]

Cormac,if the shed is just for hay storage I would'nt spend the money for concrete floor.
Wall height would depend on what you have to stack hay with,my opinion has always been the higher the better............good luck
PS I lke to leave the south and east side open.

 

[3MR]

I have never heard that, why arent concret pads a good option for hay storage? I know several people that use concrete pads.

Hay will suck the moisture right up through concrete, rot them just like they were on dirt.

You gotta get air moving under them somehow, I don't think heavy plastic will stop the moisture either.

I guess that makes sense then. The people I know who used pads had them on the pad, but otherwise uncovered or protected.

Why couldnt you seal the cement? I suppose if you are starting from scratch the gravel would work best though.

 

[RancherAlaska]

I store most of mine on concrete. I poured over 6mil visqueen, this stopped moisture from coming up. point: stops water from goin' down too 16ft high is usually a height. Leave louvered vent in the closed gable also.

 

[msscamp]

I have never heard that, why arent concret pads a good option for hay storage? I know several people that use concrete pads.

Hay will suck the moisture right up through concrete, rot them just like they were on dirt.

You gotta get air moving under them somehow, I don't think heavy plastic will stop the moisture either.

There is also the problem of rain/snow blowing into the building and collecting on top of the concrete, if the building is not fully enclosed, and running/soaking back under the stack if the concrete is not poured correctly to prevent it. We try to stack ours on pallets to allow for air circulation under the stack and keep the hay off the dirt and concrete. If we can't find enough pallets, then the bottom layer is ground for our own use since grinding knocks most of the mold off the hay.

 

[moocow]

Given the cost of concrete, I would save that for a shop or something else. We use pallets for hay that I scrounge from places in town on the way home from work (I ask if I can have them first) and this is put on a dirt floor barn. If you are committed to using the concrete, I would still use the pallets, it allows breathing room, but you will still get some rot if the ventilation is not good.

 

[3MR]

The people I knew who stored hay on concrete didnt build the pad for that purpose. One pad was an old runway and the other was from a building that burned. Im guessing it was still better than putting it on the ground which would have been thier other alternative.