Hay tarps

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Bigfoot

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I've only tarped hay once. It was used billboard tarp. Wasn't blowed away with it. Well........A hay barn was supposed to be started middle of next week, and now that's not happening. Revisited my old thread on the matter. Somebody recommended 6 mil silage plastic. Anybody got any input or suggestions on the matter? Silage plastic, used billboards, actual hay tarps????
 
We used to tarp some hay when we were operating on a much larger scale. Tried a number of different methods to keep them on with varied success. One thing that helped a lot was to run ropes across the tarp to weighted ends on each side. Seemed to keep the air from getting under the tarp better.
 
I use Missouri Hay Tarps . They sell tie down spikes with their tarp that do very well at keeping the tarp in place. The webbing they give you for strapping is not much, get yourself some 1/8 nylon cord instead. The tarp usually last two or three years for me.

JMO
Doug
 

Lay down heavy (square bale) plastic twine or rope on the ground before you stack the hay. Two pieces under each row of bales as you stack it. That puts twine about every two feet. Leave several feet sticking out. Stack hay in a 3-2-1 configuration. Tight uniform hay is easy to stack. Loose tapered hay is more difficult. Put the tarp on. You can put rope on the tarp and pull it over the stack. Tie the twine to the tarp holddown points. As the hay settles, retie the twine to keep it tight. Ties the ends together with twine to keep the wind from getting under it. These tarps will last several years if they are tied down well.
 
Used one of the Super Tarp brands with good luck. Has a pipe sleeve on it and put rope under the bales. Hay kept good just a little where the tarp touches on the bottom. Used billboards a lot too.
 
I used the 6 mill silage tarps. Stacked the bales 3-2-1. Tossed a big bale twine over at each bale and tied an old tire on each side so the tire hung a foot or so off the ground. I set up the stack so the prevailing wind hit the side of the stack not the end. The end of the row got 3 lines over it with tires. Sure worked for me and I lived in a 60 inch rain fall area. Most of that rain fell Nov-March.
 
I used the 6 mill silage tarps. Stacked the bales 3-2-1. Tossed a big bale twine over at each bale and tied an old tire on each side so the tire hung a foot or so off the ground. I set up the stack so the prevailing wind hit the side of the stack not the end. The end of the row got 3 lines over it with tires. Sure worked for me and I lived in a 60 inch rain fall area. Most of that rain fell Nov-March.
Dave, do you mean cotton twine, or hay twine?
 
I used the 6 mill silage tarps. Stacked the bales 3-2-1. Tossed a big bale twine over at each bale and tied an old tire on each side so the tire hung a foot or so off the ground. I set up the stack so the prevailing wind hit the side of the stack not the end. The end of the row got 3 lines over it with tires. Sure worked for me and I lived in a 60 inch rain fall area. Most of that rain fell Nov-March.
The local Amish farm store has 6 mil silage tarps, 28' x 100'. Grabbing one this afternoon.
 
The local Amish farm store has 6 mil silage tarps, 28' x 100'. Grabbing one this afternoon.
Used tarps about that size. Then the farm store went to just having 40 by 100. They were too heavy to handle. So I cut them in two making two 40 x 50 tarps. Over lapped them about 4 feet and used lots of strands of hay twine at the over lap.
 
Used tarps about that size. Then the farm store went to just having 40 by 100. They were too heavy to handle. So I cut them in two making two 40 x 50 tarps. Over lapped them about 4 feet and used lots of strands of hay twine at the over lap.
Thought you were using Silage tarps? Thats what I'm getting.
 
Picked up the silage tarp today, we'll see how this goes. It "feels" better than billboard material.
 

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