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Storing Hay So It NEVER Gets Moldy | Listen To Your Horse
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Storing Hay So It NEVER Gets Moldy

hay-stack

We’ve all heard about the different ways you can cover your hay stack with a tarp so it doesn’t get wet or moldy.

But have you ever heard about using commercial-size dessicant pouches to absorb moisture under your hay tarp? Thought not. Neither had I, until I met an innovative horse-owning couple, Sandy and Roger, who also owned a packaging business!

If you’re wondering what dessicant pouches are – they are the absorbent little packets manufacturers put into supplement bottles, electronics, certain packaged foods, and anything else that can be degraded by moisture. They are often made of substances like silica gel, activated charcoal, and bentonite clay. What does this have to do with keeping hay dry and non-moldy? Well, these dessicant pouches also come in large bags, that are used inside containers shipped to Asia.

cargo-dry1The dessicant bags that Sandy and Roger hang in their barn are 1500 gm Cargo Dry Paks. They come in boxes of 10 and you’ll need to use 5 paks or bags per year. If you want to buy from them in Canada at Buyer’s Packaging in Delta, BC, be sure and mention that you want to use the dessicant paks to protect your hay – they give horse people a substantial discount over regular customers!

If you want to buy from the States, you can purchase the same 1500 g Cargo Dry Paks on Amazon. The great thing about this brand (Cargo Dry Paks) is they can just be thrown in the garbage when they’re used up (natural ingredients), and they come with the tie-strings attached (so you can easily tie them to the poles – see below). Note: When price shopping for these dessicant bags, be sure to check the shipping charges – the cost of shipping is often equal to the cost of the bags, because they’re so heavy.

How To Set Up Super Dry Hay Storage

If you need to store your hay in an open field, or under a pole barn, or some other structure that is not completely enclosed, follow these instructions to create a completely enclosed, dry, protected hay storage area; using only tarps, wooden pallets, commercial-sized dessicant bags, and a few poles.

NOTE: This method works best for hay that is going to be stored for a while – not for your active hay stack that you’re pulling bales from every day. For active/temporary hay storage, see the section further down.

Step 1: Cover the area you are going to place your hay on with wooden pallets. Then cover the wooden pallets with a basic blue poly tarp that extends at least 3 feet beyond the perimeter of your hay stack, on every side (you’ll need this extra length in Step 3). The ground tarp prevents moisture from coming up from the ground and into your hay.

Step 2: Stack your bales in a pyramid/cone shape so that any water runs easily down and off. Here’s a trick my Dad figured out: Take a bunch of rectangular Lego pieces – designate 1 piece of Lego for each bale. Figure out the ground area you have and set up your lego/bales to cover the total area. Then experiment with how to build your stack of hay bales. Bring your finished Lego stack model with you when your hay arrives and show it to the guy unloading the hay – a visual is MUCH easier to understand and will save you 10 minutes of explaining!

Step 3: After your hay is stacked properly, you bring the sides of the bottom tarp up and tuck them into the lower bales, or, tie the tarp so it stays wrapped up the sides of the bales. Now you know why you need at least 3′ of extra tarp extending beyond your hay stack on all sides. If you left the bottom tarp flat on the pallets, water would eventually run from the edges of the tarp into your hay stack. I don’t have a picture of what this looks like on a big hay stack, but here’s what it looks like on a smaller stack – you can see how I’ve used bungee cords to secure the sides of the tarp up around the bales:

DSC_0008

Step 4: Now it’s time to create a tent using a UV resistant, 100% waterproof hay tarp (see below for specs and purchasing details). You need to use a hay tarp that is large enough to cover your entire stack, loosely (you need to leave room to hang the dessicant bags – see Step 5), all the way to the ground, and then tuck in underneath your bottom layer of bales, at least a 6″ flap tucked in. The goal is to create a completely enclosed, water tight storage tent.
NOTE: You can only completely enclose a hay stack if the hay has already been off the field and left to dry out completely (usually 1 month from cutting). Otherwise, the heat still in the hay will condense, resulting in moisture trapped in your hay tarp tent, which can then cause moldy hay. If your hay is not completely dry, then only cover the top and part-way down the side of the stack, until your hay is dry.

Step 5: Set up your commercial-sized dessicant bags (1500 grams, approx. 6″x12″) inside your hay tarp tent. Sandy and Roger (mentioned above) told me they have experimented with numerous different placements and the best way is to hang each bag from a pole, spaced evenly around the stack. They use 5 bags, which last the whole year. You can see when the dessicant bags are used up, because the water starts to drip out of them. You cannot dry them out (they’ve tried!), you just need to throw them away when they’ve hit their moisture capacity.

You can erect 5 poles that come up from the ground around your hay stack, then tie the bags to the top of each pole. But that is too difficult for me (I’m no Bob the Builder), so instead I placed poles horizontally across my hay stack, 2 rows from the top. The bales on top held the poles in place with their weight. I jutted the poles out about 14″ from the side of the closest bale and tied my dessicant sacks to the end of the poles with the tie-strings. Voila! I found it easiest to buy 4′ long metal poles from Home Depot.

When I want to remove a bunch of hay from my tarped stack, I simply open up one side – by pulling the cover tarp out from where it is tucked underneath the bales, and releasing the ground tarp on that side. I remove the bales, then bring the ground tarp up over the sides again, and tuck the cover tarp back underneath the bottom bales again.

Storing Hay In An Enclosed Barn or Shed

Of course, if you have an enclosed barn or shed to store hay in, you don’t need to tarp at all – then you can just hang the dessicant bags on poles around your hay stack, or hang them from the ceiling.

If your barn is open for airflow, you can stack lower-priced “sacrifice bales” against the opening to block most of the wind/rain, but still allow for some airflow. This is what Sandy and Roger do in their barn – combined with the hanging dessicant bags, they have not had ONE moldy bale since they discovered this system of hay storage 12 years ago. And yes, they live in the super wet, super rainy Pacific Northwest (Langley, BC).

Purchasing Cheap but Good Quality Hay Tarps

In my search for the best deal on a large hay tarp that would fully cover 65 bales and tuck in underneath them, all the way round, I compared both price and quality from 4 different tarp supply companies. This is no small task as you need to write down the weight per square yard, the denier, the weave count, and the material for every tarp you compare pricing on. You also need to make sure the tarp is 100% Waterproof (not just water-resistant), UV resistant, and it is nice if it is acid resistant, tear resistant, and has arctic flexibility (although this last one is a must if you get cold winters).

It really pays to do your research as prices for exactly the same tarp could be anywhere from 30% – 50% higher, depending on which supplier’s site I was on.

And then I discovered another trick – you’re going to love this one! I was on TarpsPlus.com (which had the cheapest tarps) and I discovered that tarp companies can list pretty much the same tarp, but in a different category, and charge completely different prices for it!

So I’m in the Hay Tarp section and ONE 25’x33′ foot hay tarp costs $189. Then I click over to the Gym Floor Cover section (because my daughter’s a gymnast and I got curious) and lo and behold, I can buy TWO 20’x30′ tarps for only $192. And the specs are very similar – so similar, I’ll bet I couldn’t tell the difference between them if they were lying side by side! The main difference is the hay tarp is 8.5 oz per square yard, and the gym tarp is 8 oz per square yard. Crazy hey? BUT, if you’re willing to drop to 6 oz per square yard, you can get those same TWO 20’x30′ tarps in the Poly Tarps section for only $168! And yes, you can buy them singly as well.

What SIZE Tarp Do I Need To Cover My Hay Bales?

Oh, here’s where things get difficult! Especially if you’re not a math whiz.

The easiest way to figure out what size tarp you need to get is to call your hay farmer and ask, “If I’m going to stack X bales from you, in a pyramid shape (so the rain runs off), what size tarp do I need to cover the entire stack down to the ground, with about 6″ free to tuck in all around the sides of the stack?” This is because hay farmers are usually pretty familiar with tarping hay stacks and can probably guesstimate better than you can. Then just add 2′-3′ on to each side to allow for the hanging dessicant bags (see Step 5 above).

The harder, but possibly more accurate way to determine what size tarp you need, is to get the width, depth and height measurements of your hay bales. Build your Lego model (see Step 2 above) and then use the real hay bale measurements to figure out the real size your hay stack will be. You can delegate this task to any math whiz you know and she/he will be able to figure it out.  Again, then add 2′-3′ on to each side to allow for the hanging dessicant bags (see Step 4 above). Don’t have any Lego? Oy vey, well now you’re going to have to draw your hay stack model – easiest if you print off some graph paper and make 1′ = 1 square on the paper. You may have to tape a few sheets of graph paper together, depending on how many bales you have.

Storing Hay In Use For Daily Feeding

For a hay stack you are in and out of daily to feed your horses, you do not need to use the dessicant pouches.

If your hay is in a field, or pole barn (roof only) you are going to have a hassle getting in and out of your hay stack every day, since you need to wrap it up really well to prevent rain being blown into your hay stack. You can reduce the hassle a bit by just opening one corner of the stack at a time. So when your storage does not have walls or a roof, you need to lay down pallets, then place a ground tarp over the pallets and pull it up on the sides of your bales:

DSC_0008

Then you place another tarp over top of the bales and tie it (and weight it down if needed) to prevent the wind blowing it off:

DSC_0009

However, if your hay is in a more enclosed barn (with some walls and a roof) then I found it works fine to put a thick tarp (like those used to cover RV/campers) right on the ground, then lay pallets on top of the tarp, then cover the pallets with another tarp, then stack your hay, and then put a third tarp to cover your hay stack:

blue-tarp

You can either tie the top tarp firmly around the stack (to prevent the wind blowing it off) or, you can lean extra pallets against the sides – which I find easier. If you don’t want to cover your pallets with a second tarp, then you are going to have a lot of hay wastage. If you live in a damp climate, the hay that drops into the pallets will get moldy in a few months time and you will have to clean out your entire storage (and the pallets!) and start again. If your horses are eating through your hay stack within 3-4 months, this method works great.

In my research, I read many reports from people who were buying an entire winter’s worth of hay for several horses all at once – so storing a huge volume. The consensus in that case seemed to be that you put the tarp on the ground, then the pallets. But you don’t put another tarp on top of the pallets, because that will block the airflow. They said it worked better to put a bottom layer of cheap hay or straw (as the bottom layer will always get some mold), and then your good hay. And of course, cover the whole stack with another tarp over the top and sides.

One last tip: When you are stacking your hay for long-term storage, Dwain Meyer from North Dakota State University recommends this method:

“Stack bales for air circulation. Large square bales should have a 4-6” gap between bales to increase air circulation for both indoor and outdoor storage and allows for the natural hay sweating process. Place the bottom layer of small square bales on their sides so the uneven, non-stringed surface rests on the floor (if pallets are not used) to aid air circulation throughout the stack. Leave space between the bales in each row and alternate the orientation of successive layers so bales are at right angles with layers above and below. This pattern “ties” the stack together, while also keeping bales from packing together too tightly. Rows of large round bales should be separated by 3-4’ to aid air circulation.”

 

 

 

Storing Hay So It NEVER Gets Moldy

38 thoughts on “Storing Hay So It NEVER Gets Moldy

  • September 22, 2017 at 11:54 am
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    I thought it was nice that you specifically mentioned how this advice was meant long storage. My aunt needs to invest in some hay and hasn’t been sure how to prevent it from getting moldy. I think this suggestion to use wooden pallets and tarps will work out quite nicely for her.

    Reply
    • October 5, 2017 at 11:30 am
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      Let us know how it goes Becca!

      Reply
    • January 7, 2024 at 9:54 pm
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      Do you have any suggestions for hay that is just starting to mould? We have hay stored in a lean-to style barn. Should we still tarp at this point or is there a way to remedy the hay first?

      Reply
      • January 8, 2024 at 8:56 am
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        As far as I know, there’s nothing you can do once mould has taken hold – same with the food we eat. You CAN try removing the mouldy parts to stop it spreading though.

        And if you can feed the hay out in the field, you can let the horses sort through and they will leave the mouldy bits and eat the rest IF they are getting plenty of food. But, if you are restricting food (schedule feeding, no pasture etc) then you cannot put out mouldy hay at all, as they will likely eat it and get sick. Good luck!

        Reply
  • October 5, 2017 at 3:23 am
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    I put up a hay stack,just to see if I remember,can you put a tarp over the tarp?will it sweat or get moldy?here it is oct hopefully it wont get hot?please reply !thanks..

    Reply
    • October 5, 2017 at 11:30 am
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      Hi Randy, From what I know, if the hay is completely dry, then you can tarp it. BUT – what have you got in place to stop moisture coming up from the ground? If your stack is right on the earth and it freezes, that may be okay. But if you get rain/damp, then it’s going to mold from the bottom up.

      Reply
      • January 28, 2020 at 1:05 am
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        We live in the PNW South west Washington. Trying to store a years worth of hay has been a challenge. The only thing suggested for daily use if hay we have not done is leave space between bales. Not sure how that would work with stacking 100 bales 12 ft high. I get the idea though. I am wondering about salting the bales. Would horses be ok with that?

        Reply
        • January 28, 2020 at 1:21 am
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          In my experience, salt attracts water. You also couldn’t control salt intake, so if they get too much you’d have to balance the electrolytes… Well if you try it, please let us know how it goes!

          Reply
        • March 2, 2022 at 8:09 am
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          We also are located in the PNW and store 14 ton in a barn on pallets that have plywood top. The barn is wood framed enclosed around the hay.
          We experience mold on the exterior of the bales on the 3 sides not being fed from. The climate is very damp here throughout the winter months.
          What could help us?

          Reply
          • March 3, 2022 at 2:49 pm
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            Hey Dan – you could try tarping your hay stack and/or placing those commercial size dessicant bags in your barn or under the tarps (but not touching the hay). And tuck the tarp in around the 3 sides you’re not feeding from. Do you have any airflow in your barn or is it sealed? Because gaps that let in air (but not rain) really help to keep moisture accumulation down.

            Reply
  • June 8, 2018 at 1:02 pm
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    I store 4×4 round bales in 24×24 3 sided pole building. I cover bottom with plastic. I then put down pallets. This year the bottom bales have shown signs of mold. I can’t figure out why. I did put 6” of limestone on bottom to allow for drainage. I also put spouting on building. Why is it molding? I thought about putting plastic on top of pallets. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thank you

    Reply
    • June 8, 2018 at 5:05 pm
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      Funny you should post this as I’ve just been talking to a whole bunch of people about storing round bales! The consensus seems to be that unless you are in a VERY DRY climate (like Alberta or Arizona), it’s a total crapshoot whether your bales will have mold, or not. The round bales themselves turn into ‘cookers’ with the internal temperature at the core escalating quickly if there’s any microbial activity – which is then insulated/incubated by the dense surrounding layers.

      If I were you, I would try putting plastic on top of the pallets too. And if possible, I would make your bottom layer a platform of straw (sacrifice) bales – just the normal 65 lb bales. Please let us know how it works out – the more knowledge/info we can share, the better!

      Reply
      • June 17, 2021 at 3:35 pm
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        Still an issue in Alberta storing bales in an enclosed shed where bottom bales get moldy.

        Should we double layer tarps? We have a field stacker that brings in 160 bales at a time

        Reply
        • June 17, 2021 at 11:29 pm
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          Are you using pallets on the bottom? If so, then you may need to use a bottom layer of straw. OR hang those commercial dessicant bags.

          Reply
          • June 26, 2022 at 1:14 pm
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            Jini – I’ve tried tracking down those dessicant bags and the company doesn’t seem to be in business under Buyer’s Packaging and even Amazon only lists small bags, not the 1500 gm. size you mentioned. Help!

            Reply
            • June 28, 2022 at 2:08 pm
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              Hey Valery, type this into your search engine: sea can dessicant bags

              That will pull up some options for you. Let us know who you buy from!

              Reply
  • October 13, 2020 at 9:51 pm
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    It’s interesting to learn that simply using tarps can help storing hay effectively. I’m currently helping my uncle find a hay bale supplier because he has been thinking about taking care of livestock soon. I hope he would allow me to ride one of his horses someday since I’ve always been curious about what that would have been like.

    Reply
  • October 23, 2020 at 8:04 am
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    I appreciated the storage information though I don’t have a horse. We have chickens and the bottom of the coop is all wire fencing. My husband came up with the idea to place hay bales around the bottom of the coop for insulation. The chickens can peck away at the hay throughout the winter and is a much better alternative than styrofoam insulation. I want to make sure we aren’t creating a problem by introducing moldy wet hay come the spring. We live in Wisconsin and the fall and spring can be quite wet. Thanks for the great ideas.

    Reply
    • October 25, 2020 at 12:20 am
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      Hi Juliee, I asked Kesia your question, since she has lots of experience with chickens and she wrote:

      “I don’t personally think it would be much of an issue since it’s on the edges, and by then the chickens won’t be pecking at it much since they will have taken out what they like best. Also, if it does seem to be an issue, you can simply remove the wet bales and replace them with dry. Lots of people use hay bales for insulation so definitely worth a try!”

      The other thought I had is if the bales get moldy in the spring, you can spread them around your pastures to mulch down and help regenerate the soil – so they wouldn’t go to waste. More on that here:

      https://listentoyourhorse.com/regenerating-stressed-pasture/

      Reply
  • October 29, 2020 at 7:13 am
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    I store a years supply of hay in my pole barn. I have tried nearly everything, and found the following to work well for us in the damp Great Lakes area. I place pallets on a concrete floor covered with two layers of wood. Then stack the hay, cut ends up alternating the bale direction each layer. Even the bottom layer stays good. I might try the tarp, pallet, tarp method on a small haystack to compare.

    Reply
  • October 29, 2020 at 7:14 am
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    The two layers of wood are placed on top of the pallets.

    Reply
    • October 29, 2020 at 7:14 pm
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      Hi Ann – thanks so much for sharing your expertise! For the two layers of wood – are they both plywood? I’m amazed you’re not getting rain blowing into your stack – you have a pole barn with all 4 sides completely open, right? If you experiment, I’d be very interested to hear how it goes 🙂

      Reply
    • January 30, 2021 at 1:19 pm
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      Thanks Shannon – that does look like a good tarp!

      Reply
  • February 3, 2021 at 7:52 pm
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    I have my hay in a pole barn on rubber mats. I put a layer of pallets on the mats then a layer of tyvek on the pallets and finish off the pallets with 1/2 inch chip board. I have hardly any mold, even on some bales that I have had a year and a half. Really helps. I also found why hay wants to mold when near metal barn siding, the inside condensation freezes on the inside metal and then after it melts, and any hay touching the walls gets damp. I insulate those walls with foam board. My roof also has a plywood liner so I don’t have to cover my top layers. It’s really been working well.

    Reply
    • February 4, 2021 at 10:46 pm
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      Awesome!! Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and experience. Rubber mats under the pallets would be preferable to a tarp for sure, but a lot more money. I always put plywood on my pole barn roofs (under the metal sheeting) simply for noise/sound reduction! But then we get a TON of really heavy rain here, it’s deafening on just a straight metal roof.

      Reply
  • February 6, 2021 at 5:37 pm
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    I have rubber mats as regular flooring, but under pallets one could use visqueen (heavy poly plastic which comes in big rolls, I used one 20 feet wide for another project). I thought about why the pallets need the plywood on top, after all in hay lofts, one doesn’t need pallets, the hay goes right on the wood because the moisture doesn’t seem to condense on the wood under the hay. If the pallets are on the ground with the hay just on top, the ground will condense water, same with concrete, and it is this moisture molding your hay on the pallet top. I found once I protected the hay from ground moisture with the wood on top of the pallets, I rarely had the mold on bottom of bales from moisture. The tyvek, probably is overkill but it’s not expensive and it adds an extra barrier. BTW, rubber mats condense water, too. They are not a solution at all.

    When I first started this journey, everyone said I needed air for the hay by using pallets, I don’t think that’s correct, the air gap from the pallet would keep the underside of the plywood from moisture damage (vs laying directly on the ground); the hay does fine on the wood, I noticed some hay I got from a friend had mold where the moist air came up between the slats from the concrete but none where the hay sat on the pallet wood, no mold there.

    Reply
    • February 6, 2021 at 11:05 pm
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      Great observations Jill – how many bales are you storing this way (on average)? And how long does it take for you to use them up?

      Reply
  • February 7, 2021 at 9:16 am
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    I have an enclosed hay area in a pole barn so no weather blows in. I buy hay first cutting, so by the time I use it up, it’s about a year. I have friends who I buy hay from, one has a hayloft and one has pallets on concrete, so I use the pallet hay first, then the hayloft hay.. I will ask this coming year for my friend to put something on the pallets, either plywood or visqueen or a tarp so that the hay stays fresher longer. I have between 85 to 120 bales at my house.. I partial board so I only have room for 40 at the boarding barn. I use my hay at home last. So it will be 10 months to a year. My take, if you see frost on surfaces near your hay and the hay touches it, , it will cause mold when the temps go up and it turns into liquid.

    Reply
    • February 8, 2021 at 3:59 pm
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      A year is a good test of your system! Awesome, thank you for sharing all the details with us Jill 🙂

      Reply
  • July 29, 2021 at 12:43 pm
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    I live in ohio and have an enclosed barn with a concrete floor, cement blocks with pallets on top,then wood. We put 300 bales in off the field at a 15% moisture content. 1 month later the hay smells bitter with dust and is checking 20% moisture. We stacked the hay 1ft away from the walls and on its side (strings sideways) Everything is dry, but the hay feels damp, could the hay be wicking up the moisture from the humidity in the air which has been very high this year. If so any solution?

    Reply
    • July 29, 2021 at 9:01 pm
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      Hey Steve, I’m wondering if the concrete/cement could be your culprit… I recently learned that concrete absorbs a LOT of water, hence it’s not too good for areas that flood. So then perhaps you’ve got your high humidity in the air and both your concrete, cement blocks and hay absorbing/holding moisture.

      Obviously there’s nothing you can do about the concrete floor, BUT I had a concrete floor in my barn and my bales were fine. So perhaps getting rid of the cement blocks, tarp on your concrete floor, wooden pallets, tarp on your pallets, then stack the hay… and can you get more ventilation happening?

      Let us know what happens…

      Reply
  • October 28, 2021 at 6:28 am
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    Do you think it’s safe for round bales to be completely tarped from top down and all sides (nothing exposed)? We have 22 4×5 round bales sitting outside on pallets that have been completely covered with tarp and have been anchored down with J hooks into the ground. They seemed completely dry and the hay farmer said they were baled at 10% moisture. Under the pallets is the ground (grass) and we live in northern Wisconsin so I’m not quite sure if they’ll mold or even worse – catch fire. This is what the previous owner told us to do but I see so much conflicting information online about storing hay so I’m not quite sure who/what to follow. Thank you!!

    Reply
    • October 30, 2021 at 10:25 pm
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      Well you have to assess your specific situation, based on how much moisture is going to come up from the ground, and how much is in your air? Personally I would not put any hay directly on the ground. I would put pallets down first, and then the hay on top of the pallets – keeps them off the ground moisture, but also allows some air flow – which you have done. Since you are in a dry-air climate, I would *think* you’d be okay completely enclosing the bales in tarps. If you have any neighbours who’ve tried your system and say otherwise, then throw some cargo-size dessicant bags into your hay storage area (but not touching any hay) for insurance.

      The conflicting information you’re hearing is probably based on air flow concerns. If you can create a covered area that still has air flow, that is IDEAL for keeping hay dry as the air flow/movement allows any moisture that accumulates, or is generated by the hay, to escape. So can you keep your hay dry from rain/snow yet still allow for air flow? That is ideal.

      If you can’t, then your next best option is to tarp completely, up on pallets, as you’ve done. But then you’ll need to keep an eye on your hay and perhaps air it out on nice sunny days. Or use the dessicant bags. Remember, you can usually SMELL moisture before you can see it. So sniff around to see if you can detect moistness or fermentation.

      Let us know how it goes!

      Reply
  • June 20, 2022 at 8:45 am
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    The barn is sheathed with plywood. There are 2 10ft openings to drive in, but around the hay stack is plywood sheathing floor to roof. These sides and top experience the mold. I am considering hanging tarps on these sides. We get lots of humidity during the fall and winter. Maybe a sliding curtain across the front also.

    Reply
    • June 20, 2022 at 12:07 pm
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      Or you could leave the walls as is and tarp the hay stack…

      Reply
  • March 4, 2023 at 6:22 pm
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    We put up about 300 + bales of hay in a barn on pallets and have had some problems with mold,
    thinking about putting a tarp either on the pallets or underneath the pallets and then putting a tarp on top of the hay ???

    Reply
    • March 5, 2023 at 7:21 pm
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      I would put the tarp underneath the pallets and then another one on top of the hay. Let us know how that works for you.

      Reply

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