Hay Storage and Windbreak Questions

[Adam Freeman]

What are some ways to best store brome and oat hay with the minimal amount of loss. I do not have a barn for it yet. It is on my wish list though. I have seen long rows and stacked both covered and uncovered. Just hat the idea of spending so much on hay to lose nutritional value or rot on it.

Second question I do not have much protection from the wind for my cattle this winter. I am planning a windbreak using old RR telephone poles and 2x6's and tin. Going to go 40 foot long with 10 foot sides and 10 foot tall. Where is the best place to place it top of hill or the base of a hill. Or somewhere else.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[BFE]

What are some ways to best store brome and oat hay with the minimal amount of loss. I do not have a barn for it yet. It is on my wish list though. I have seen long rows and stacked both covered and uncovered. Just hat the idea of spending so much on hay to lose nutritional value or rot on it.

Second question I do not have much protection from the wind for my cattle this winter. I am planning a windbreak using old RR telephone poles and 2x6's and tin. Going to go 40 foot long with 10 foot sides and 10 foot tall. Where is the best place to place it top of hill or the base of a hill. Or somewhere else.

Any help would be appreciated.

North/south rows are better than east/west. Consider drainage when choosing an area to store them, the more the better. You can always buy billboard tarps to cover with if you stack. Rows are better if the hay is uncovered.

Once again consider drainage on your windbreak. If you can go ahead and roof it, that would be great. You may also consider going to your local concrete plant and asking about wash, which is what they do with any excess crete they bring back in from jobs. I bought a load yesterday for $7.00 a ton delivered. I'll spread it in roofed traffic areas, makes a nice floor for sheds and such. It will pack pretty solid. You can't fill a loblolly with it, but it works well on an already stable surface.

 

[Adam Freeman]

Well learned a hard lesson this week had my oat hay catch fire. Had it stacked then we had day on day off super heavy rains that ripped the tarp off and got it all soaked so we went out to move it and spread it it out to dry out and as we were pulling in we saw the first bale catching fire. Hauled tail to get the tractor and called the FD. They got out there put it out and kept it down while i moved bales away from the hot spot. the two that were smoldering went up in a blaze as soon as i moved them and the wind hit them. Lost 2 more to damage when i tried to move them got everything else moved and spread out to cool off and dry out came back the next morning and had a flare up from another bale that had started to smolder that fire reached two more bales by the time the FD and I were able to get out there and knock down the flames. So in all lost seven bales out of 105. All oat bales that were put up dry the FD Chief figures the multiple days of 1-2 inch plus rains got them soaked enough that when it hit 95 they started to cook. Learned my lesson and will be doing single rows with plenty of spacing in between them now. Spent all day Sunday spreading everything out to cool and dry out just to get hit with a massive 4 inch rain again that finally quit Monday afternoon and then had showers today with more every day this week. The FD was telling my wife that they have had at least on call a day all week for hay fires. I have been watching everyone out there cutting and bailing as fast as possible. Some guys were only letting the hay lay for a 24-36 hours before bailing it never raked it or anything. Are they asking for a fire by doing that. I ask due to the fact that i just bought some hay from a guy that cut Thursday afternoon and baled it Saturday evening. So he had it on the ground for about 48 hours but was trying to beat those storms that rolled through Sunday.