My hay storage set up

[BK9954]

After speaking aome of you about this I laid down gravel on a hill and put round bales on it and covered with heavy duty black plastic. Should hold through winter.
https://instagram.com/p/6OwFN2HYVg/

https://instagram.com/p/6OwB9FHYVY/

 

[highgrit]

Are you storing hay or baleage?

 

[M-5]

Need to open ends so it can breathe

 

[fenceman]

Need to open ends so it can breathe

That's kinda want I was thinking. I never cover mine so I kept my mouth shut.
Your pretty close me, about sixty miles closer to gulf.
Very few around here cover hay, I would think more like a half tarp. Protect it from the sun and shed a little rain. With the heat and humidity you have I think it won't do well wrapped up that way.
Again only opinion.......I like the gravel

 

[Kingfisher]

Where did you get that black plastic?

 

[BK9954]

Where did you get that black plastic?

From a local company supply company. It is what they use for laying concrete. It was $60 for 100×20 feet

 

[BK9954]

That's kinda want I was thinking. I never cover mine so I kept my mouth shut.
Your pretty close me, about sixty miles closer to gulf.
Very few around here cover hay, I would think more like a half tarp. Protect it from the sun and shed a little rain. With the heat and humidity you have I think it won't do well wrapped up that way.
Again only opinion.......I like the gravel[/quote]
I got a 2014 bale from my neighbor that had about 10-12" of dark hay around the perimeter that was unuseable. With hay loosing 20-30% over a year will this cover not help preserve it? I will open the ends of it but I was trying to prevent it from getting rained on. I put the gravel on high land to keep it from sucking up water when it rains. Pease dont tell me I threw $60 down the drain. Will this tarp break it down more?. Also trying to wrap it so my cows dont tear into it.

 

[skyhightree1]

That's kinda want I was thinking. I never cover mine so I kept my mouth shut.
Your pretty close me, about sixty miles closer to gulf.
Very few around here cover hay, I would think more like a half tarp. Protect it from the sun and shed a little rain. With the heat and humidity you have I think it won't do well wrapped up that way.
Again only opinion.......I like the gravel

I got a 2014 bale from my neighbor that had about 10-12" of dark hay around the perimeter that was unuseable. With hay loosing 20-30% over a year will this cover not help preserve it? I will open the ends of it but I was trying to prevent it from getting rained on. I put the gravel on high land to keep it from sucking up water when it rains. Pease dont tell me I threw $60 down the drain. Will this tarp break it down more?. Also trying to wrap it so my cows dont tear into it.[/quote]

I tried covering mine it was more of a waste of time for me than anything. I leave mine out in the open. I would suggest not worrying about cows tearing into it by putting up a temporary electric fence around it. Thats what I do and leave one end with a handle you can hook and unhook when you go to feed it. The plastic you are using if its what I have and use for concrete it gets brittle after a while of sitting in the sun. I hope it works for you.

 

[suzorse]

black plastic will cause heat and condensation , so will contribute to molding of the hay , hay tarps
around here are white and only cover the top of the stack and part way down the side
Suzanne

 

[Rajela]

That's kinda want I was thinking. I never cover mine so I kept my mouth shut.
Your pretty close me, about sixty miles closer to gulf.
Very few around here cover hay, I would think more like a half tarp. Protect it from the sun and shed a little rain. With the heat and humidity you have I think it won't do well wrapped up that way.
Again only opinion.......I like the gravel

I got a 2014 bale from my neighbor that had about 10-12" of dark hay around the perimeter that was unuseable. With hay loosing 20-30% over a year will this cover not help preserve it? I will open the ends of it but I was trying to prevent it from getting rained on. I put the gravel on high land to keep it from sucking up water when it rains. Pease dont tell me I threw $60 down the drain. Will this tarp break it down more?. Also trying to wrap it so my cows dont tear into it.[/quote]

What they are saying is you need to have some air circulating around the bales so they dont sweat under the plastic. Expose the ends of the end rolls and pull the plastic taught and place some weight on it (Dirt, Old Tires, Cross Ties) to keep it pulled out so you can get some air moving under the plastic. Put up a fence to keep the cows out the plastic won't stop a bovine.

 

[greybeard]

BK, I tarped some hay like that a few years ago with some cotton module covers--completely covered them just as you have done, and they molded so bad on the outer 1/4 of each bale they were stinking and I ended up unrolling the bad part and using it as compost for my garden. When you completely enclose them, even if they are really dry when you tarp them, condensation builds up on the underside of the tarp or plastic sheeting every night when the air cools off, and especially if it rains on a hot day and the moisture leaches down into the hay.
Next time I tarped some, I just covered it 1/2 way. If viewed from the flat end like a clock face, just cover it from about the 9 oclock to 3 oclock position and leave the ends open to air and sunshine, you will have a much better results---or I did anyway.
You haven't wasted the $$ on the plastic sheeting--you just need to fold it so it doesn't cover the whole bales and doesn't create a sauna.
Kinda like this:

M-5 posted some pretty neat tricks on how to easily hold the sheeting down using the hay's own strings, but I don't remember which thread it was in.

 

[M-5]

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=99785&p=1271133#p1271133
here is the thread GB was referring to. I don't think you wasted 60 bucks. Here is my suggestion if and you can do what ever you want with it. Take plastic off and fold in half. cut it down the middle and make 2 10' pieces x 100' fold one side up and store where rats cant get to it or put it on another row of hay . put the remaining piece on the bales leaving the face of each end exposed. cut and tie strings like I described in other thread if you have questions pm me ill give you my number and walk you thru it. yes you will have some discoloration on the very top and down the sides but it will not penetrate very deep and the face of the bales will look just like the day you put them up.

 

[fenceman]

That's kinda want I was thinking. I never cover mine so I kept my mouth shut.
Your pretty close me, about sixty miles closer to gulf.
Very few around here cover hay, I would think more like a half tarp. Protect it from the sun and shed a little rain. With the heat and humidity you have I think it won't do well wrapped up that way.
Again only opinion.......I like the gravel

I got a 2014 bale from my neighbor that had about 10-12" of dark hay around the perimeter that was unuseable. With hay loosing 20-30% over a year will this cover not help preserve it? I will open the ends of it but I was trying to prevent it from getting rained on. I put the gravel on high land to keep it from sucking up water when it rains. Pease dont tell me I threw $60 down the drain. Will this tarp break it down more?. Also trying to wrap it so my cows dont tear into it.[/quote]
I hate to tell you that, but you don't want me to lie to ya. If it's new hay go reach in deep and get ya a handful put it in a Ziploc bag and sit out in the sun you'll see. In central Texas hay that's left outside gets wet when it rains. Then dried by the sun. Hay wrapped up like that will be wet all the time.
Not a very good pic but 2014 first cutting, coastal,Johnson,ryegrass... been uncovered and out in full sun. Bleached maybe 3 inches.
When we had all that rain this hay had grass and mushrooms growing on it. Being exposed to the sun allows it to dry

 

[BK9954]

Thanks for the warning. I,will fold it. Dont want $600 of hay going to waste. About to buy another 10 bales.

 

[Jbonnot03]

Back in the day(about 15 years ago) we tried some Agbag to keep hay. It was essentially a long white bag that you put the round bales in. Ours ended up all slimy and nasty because it ended up with holes all in the bag from rodents and tears. My grandpa's ended up doing a lot better because he didn't tear the bags and put up a hot wire. He also would suck all the air out of the bag with a shop vac. I think the key was to have it sealed completely.

I have a friend in the East Bernard area that stacks his round bales 3 tiers high and covers with a big tarp. He has kept some hay for two years without significant damage. I am pretty sure he leaves the ends open to allow air flow.

All of that to say, either seal it completely ie vaccum seal or leave the ends open. I agree with the others.

 

[bbirder]

If that was in my pasture all you would see is rumps sticking out from under the cover. That will not protect your hay from the cows. Put a good hot wire around it, and I do mean a good "HOT" wire. :2cents:

 

[M-5]

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=100025

 

[BK9954]

I have no power on that side of the property. Might just fence off that corner but cant to a hot wire.

 

[bbirder]

I have no power on that side of the property. Might just fence off that corner but cant to a hot wire.

Look at a solar powered charger. Way less than that much hay.

 

[ddd75]

i run a cheap 100 dollar charger with a marine battery for my temp fences.