Hay Fire

[GaryDG]

I am reasonably clear on storage concerns of fresh cut hay with moisture content, but not clear when hay was cut 6 months ago but got somewhat wet during transport and restorage. One bale was warm on inside.

Can hay fires occur on hay stored under the above scenario? If so what should one look for or monitor?

Thanks

 

[msscamp]

I am reasonably clear on storage concerns of fresh cut hay with moisture content, but not clear when hay was cut 6 months ago but got somewhat wet during transport and restorage. One bale was warm on inside.

Can hay fires occur on hay stored under the above scenario? If so what should one look for or monitor?

Thanks

I'm not sure about grass hay, but alfalfa can. I don't see why any hay that is baled wet would not generate heat and therefore be susceptible to spontaneous combustion during the drying out process in a shed, but I could be wrong. I know alfalfa will. What to look for is heat (felt a foot or so away from the stack) being radiated off the stack.

 

[certherfbeef]

Toss some salt on that hay.

 

[msscamp]

Toss some salt on that hay.

Forgive my ignorance here, but what does the salt do?

 

[certherfbeef]

Toss some salt on that hay.

Forgive my ignorance here, but what does the salt do?

It helps absord the moisture.

When I was growing up all we put in was square bales. Dad always had a 5 gallon bucket of salt in the 2nd crop mow. After each layer, it got salted. We also stacked the square bales cut side up.

Neer salted the 1st cutting unless we screwed up and it was noticably heavy. Always did the 2nd crop.

 

[Crowderfarms]

Hay rolled that long ago should be fine. I'd only be worried if it was rolled or baled too green and then put up.If it was going to burn, it would most likely have done it. It's kind of a composting thing going on.

 

[ctlbaron]

I think you are probably right Crowder. If it's been in there that long it would have done it already if it were going to. I think they used to say within a month. We always set the bales on edge to allow the moisture to wick out. Never had a problem or knew anybody that did. But I always heard it would burn.

 

[El_Putzo]

We also stacked the square bales cut side up.

I thought my dad was the only person in the country that thought that. I could see his point that if you stacked it cut side up, it was easier to walk on, but he also maintained that it cures out better that way. I guess it's not that big of a deal to stack them that way, it just seemed like it when I was younger and didn't want to listen to dad.

 

[flaboy+]

I would be wondering what is making it warm after 6 months. It should be long past any heat cycles it will go through. Now, if it was baled wet that's a different story.

 

[farmer4620]

if it was dry when baled but just got a rain on it aslong as it didnt sit out in the weather for a long time it probably didnt soak in more than couple inches and it should be fine but if it got baled a little wet keep and I on and maybe get a thermometer and probe a couple bales. The dairy farm by us had a hay fire the other day it was a big one im not sure on the exact count but it was some that was stored outside under a tarp must of had a wet one in side somewhere