stacking round bales outside

[Weaver]

Is there any way to stack round bales and store them outside without a tarp. I don't have much space for the hay and i was wondering if anyone had ever done this.

 

[TexasBred]

Lots of folks down here stack it outside in rows...some will pyramid it...probably a lot more hay put up that way than in barns...if it's baled good and tight you won't get too much loss of quality....course a lot of our hay doesn't have a lot of quality to begin with. :roll:

 

[Bez+]

Is there any way to stack round bales and store them outside without a tarp. I don't have much space for the hay and i was wondering if anyone had ever done this.

You stack it in Illinois and do not tarp it you will have the centre area where all three bales touch rot big time.

We stack several hundred a year - our ecosystem can be roughly compared to yours.

Take advice from someone in your own area on this matter - but you guys get rain - all that rain runs around the outside of the bales and collects where they make contact - and rot happpens - you literally can lose almost 50% of the hay if you are not careful.

Cover it or run in long single rows - north to south and do not let the rows touch.Store it on well drained ground or it will rot from the bottom up.

There are massive and I do mean massive amounts of information on this matter on this site - start your search and be wary of any info that comes from areas that do not have similar weather systems as you.

What works for them could be a disaster for you.

Go talk to a local -find out how they do it. Put up a building, tarp it or row it on well drained areas.

Best of luck.

Regards

Bez+

 

[Cowdirt]

Weaver, better listen to what Bez wrote! His advice applies to the Mid Tennessee environment also.

 

[Fred Belknap]

Here in WV quite a few put the bales in rows with a space between rows. Plan on loosing about a third of your hay if you store it on the ground. Large bales with net wrap may do a little better. Putting them on pallets will help. I think you will have trouble if you try to stack the bales without a cover. I stacked 80 bales three years ago, put it on pallets and put a large tarp over it. I still had some loss. I turned white(mold). With the cost of hay a shed will pay for itself in very short time.
Fred

 

[1982vett]

Get em up off the ground with railroad ties, old light poles, telephone poles, pallets will last a year or two and cover with tarp or 10mil black plastic.

download/file.php?id=226&mode=view

http://foragesoftexas.tamu.edu/pdf/haystorag.pdf

 

[bigbull338]

yes you can stack them outside without trapping them down.but i would not jamm or butt the bales togather when stacking them.because if you do they will rot.plus they cant shed the water an snow very good.id stack emm with 1ft tween the bales an row of bales.

 

[Bez+]

yes you can stack them outside without trapping them down.but i would not jamm or butt the bales togather when stacking them.because if you do they will rot.plus they cant shed the water an snow very good.id stack emm with 1ft tween the bales an row of bales.

Hence the differences I was talking about.

We average about 45 or more inches of rain and last year had almost 11 feet of snow.

We store our uncovered bales outside on a slope - sandy gravelly soil underneath,

Single rows of about 50 bales each - uncovered.

All butted tight to each other.

Negligible loss from ground rot and next to no loss from being butted up tight to each other.

However we do not let the rows touch.

We stack north to south in lines.

If we stack we do it 3/2/1 and cover with a tarp down to about halfway down on the side of the bottom bale - all stored on sandy gravelly ground - next to no loss from ground rot and no loss to any hay covered by tarp.

Never, never, never cover them all the way to the ground all the way around - you lose ventilation and you will have rot.

So if you are in Illinois I would suggest long single rows if you do not want to go with tarps - a pain to remove the strings or netting when feeding out frozen bales but it can be done.

Plastic covering works but tends to get a moisture build up under the plastic and will get your hay wet - for some reason tarps with the white side out and the black side to the hay do not.

You will do what you want - do not cheap out on the covering - it is the most important part - look at what your neighbours do and try to emulate them.

Warning though - what works for some may very well be disasterous for you - including some of my own techniques.

You gotta do what works for you

All the best

Bez+

 

[novatech]

Off the ground, tarp or net rap helps. The better the hay the faster it rots.