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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| lots of different ways
i was losing hay t damp and mold til my adopted brother told me black plastic and rock salt never lost another bale or even a round bale as i put them on them too
i did store everything under cover course now i dream of hay and horse and what was will never be..
how do you all? |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | We used wooden pallets as a base. Green hay stacked on edge. Anything wet got a handfull of salt between layers. Dry/cured hay can be stacked any way. Any moist hay needs a slight gap between the stacks to allow for air-flow. It's hard to explain. Took me years of not burning a barn down to learn what little I know. |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
 
Location: Arkansas | We do the pallets also with a thin layer of hay spread over it. For some reason damp seems to still seep in without that layer.
Explain the salt please, either of y'all! |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | We use the wooden pallets too and I store hay in my hay barn so its stays dry, no worrys about it getting damp.  |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Chandler's Mom - 2015-12-01 8:35 PM
We do the pallets also with a thin layer of hay spread over it. For some reason damp seems to still seep in without that layer.
Explain the salt please, either of y'all!
Sorry... I have no explanation... We were "city Folks"... all the old timers said to sprinkle salt over wet/green hay if we stacked it tight...
It was cheap enough, we didn't ask why... |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | komet. - 2015-12-01 8:42 PM
Chandler's Mom - 2015-12-01 8:35 PM
We do the pallets also with a thin layer of hay spread over it. For some reason damp seems to still seep in without that layer.
Explain the salt please, either of y'all!
Sorry... I have no explanation... We were "city Folks"... all the old timers said to sprinkle salt over wet/green hay if we stacked it tight...
It was cheap enough, we didn't ask why...
Oh wait... (Those old *******!!) Stop and think... salt draws moisture.... But if you want to draw moisture out of a salt shaker... you put in a few grains of rice.... 
Thank you! I learned something new today  |
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 Hate Windows 8
Posts: 2462
Location: Oregon | Salt draws out moisture and also encourages the horses to drink more water is what I was always told.
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | Mine is stacked outside but i have rounds....m |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | komet. - 2015-12-01 8:54 PM
komet. - 2015-12-01 8:42 PM
Chandler's Mom - 2015-12-01 8:35 PM
We do the pallets also with a thin layer of hay spread over it. For some reason damp seems to still seep in without that layer.
Explain the salt please, either of y'all!
Sorry... I have no explanation... We were "city Folks"... all the old timers said to sprinkle salt over wet/green hay if we stacked it tight...
It was cheap enough, we didn't ask why...
Oh wait... (Those old *******!! ) Stop and think... salt draws moisture.... But if you want to draw moisture out of a salt shaker... you put in a few grains of rice....
Thank you! I learned something new today
This is what I was thinking, just making sure! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 915
Location: SE KS | Our squares are stacked on plastic pallets inside the barn. Rounds are just outside!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Does anybody know if you can store hay in a metal shipping container? Dry, square bales is what I want to store. My husband says it would get too hot. However, I think it would work if we put them on pallets and left some room at the top for the air to move. There is a place near me that sells the containers and they will put vents in the sides, if you pay extra for it. That's what I want to get for my hay.
We only have a three stall barn and recently added a third horse. One stall is full of hay, so one of my horses is living in the hallway right now. He is none too happy.  |
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| Nita - 2015-12-03 1:08 PM
Does anybody know if you can store hay in a metal shipping container? Dry, square bales is what I want to store. My husband says it would get too hot. However, I think it would work if we put them on pallets and left some room at the top for the air to move. There is a place near me that sells the containers and they will put vents in the sides, if you pay extra for it. That's what I want to get for my hay.
We only have a three stall barn and recently added a third horse. One stall is full of hay, so one of my horses is living in the hallway right now. He is none too happy.
wHY don't you buy one of the carport structures and an extra flat bed trailer .... and leave hay on trailer ... no more stacking hay and no ground moisture ..
If needed you can add metal sheets to the sides to keep blowing rain or snow out of the carport thingy ...
Salt not needed if you use the heavy duty 6ml black plastic to stack hay on the ground ... the wooden pallets are a pta and raise a lot of mice and rats ... lol
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  Champ
Posts: 19623
Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm | I have to agree about the pallets under hay. They are a PITA, mice and rats love them and they can be dangerous if you step off them just wrong. I about broke my ankle one year stepping down off a bale. I stack my hay in the arena, on sheets of plastic. That's to keep the moisture from drawing up into the bottom layer. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 927
Location: Iowa | If my small square are put up slightly tough, we sprinkle rock salt between each layer of bales. It draws the moisture to the outside of the bale and helps finish the curing process. This will not work if the bales are wet. |
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Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | OregonBR - 2015-12-03 2:36 PM
I have to agree about the pallets under hay. They are a PITA, mice and rats love them and they can be dangerous if you step off them just wrong. I about broke my ankle one year stepping down off a bale. I stack my hay in the arena, on sheets of plastic. That's to keep the moisture from drawing up into the bottom layer.
We have a pretty good snake population. We're close to the river and there are lots of snakes down here, anyways. I like my snakes. The rat snakes are like, "hey, how you doing!! I'm just after these mice down here." They're neat wildlife to have in the barn and I don't have to put up with cat poop! So, the pallets work for me.
I don't think our climate is dry enough to store hay directly on plastic. We have lots of humidity and I think it would cause mold. |
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Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | BARRELHORSE USA - 2015-12-03 2:29 PM
Nita - 2015-12-03 1:08 PM
Does anybody know if you can store hay in a metal shipping container? Dry, square bales is what I want to store. My husband says it would get too hot. However, I think it would work if we put them on pallets and left some room at the top for the air to move. There is a place near me that sells the containers and they will put vents in the sides, if you pay extra for it. That's what I want to get for my hay.
We only have a three stall barn and recently added a third horse. One stall is full of hay, so one of my horses is living in the hallway right now. He is none too happy.
wHY don't you buy one of the carport structures and an extra flat bed trailer .... and leave hay on trailer ... no more stacking hay and no ground moisture ..
If needed you can add metal sheets to the sides to keep blowing rain or snow out of the carport thingy ...
Salt not needed if you use the heavy duty 6ml black plastic to stack hay on the ground ... the wooden pallets are a pta and raise a lot of mice and rats ... lol
That is a good idea. Would probably cost about the same as a shipping container. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1034
| I have a large carport with sides that go down to the ground. Stack it on pallets a good 3-4' from the outside edge and even with snow and rain and mud it's fine. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Nita - 2015-12-03 9:08 PM OregonBR - 2015-12-03 2:36 PM I have to agree about the pallets under hay. They are a PITA, mice and rats love them and they can be dangerous if you step off them just wrong. I about broke my ankle one year stepping down off a bale. I stack my hay in the arena, on sheets of plastic. That's to keep the moisture from drawing up into the bottom layer. We have a pretty good snake population. We're close to the river and there are lots of snakes down here, anyways. I like my snakes. The rat snakes are like, "hey, how you doing!! I'm just after these mice down here." They're neat wildlife to have in the barn and I don't have to put up with cat poop! So, the pallets work for me. I don't think our climate is dry enough to store hay directly on plastic. We have lots of humidity and I think it would cause mold.
Same here I like my wooden pallets, dont mine the good snakes.. The humidity is just to darn bad here, the plastic would not work for me.. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Mine is in a building on a concrete slab locked up so critters can't get in. Snake population controls mice. I have room for about 350 bales if necessary. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1210
Location: Kansas | Nita - 2015-12-03 12:08 PM
Does anybody know if you can store hay in a metal shipping container? Dry, square bales is what I want to store. My husband says it would get too hot. However, I think it would work if we put them on pallets and left some room at the top for the air to move. There is a place near me that sells the containers and they will put vents in the sides, if you pay extra for it. That's what I want to get for my hay.
We only have a three stall barn and recently added a third horse. One stall is full of hay, so one of my horses is living in the hallway right now. He is none too happy.
The coop I use stores their hay and straw that way, even during the summer. They have no vents in theirs and they close the doors when no one is around. They have never had any problems. |
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 "Spaz-tacular"!!
Posts: 20309
Location: Bennett, CO | Dont Use a Shipping Container! A friend was bringing one up to his cabin, and rather than haul it empty- he loaded it with hay for me ( he had tons of grass hay and we were in a drought) We opened the doors when it arrived and FOG rolled out of that thing! It had steamed all the hay in route (September) and they were too tightly sealed. We ended up feeding it all to the sheep. |
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 Swiffer PIcker Upper
Posts: 4015
Location: Four Corners Colorado | When I get a large amount of green hay, I use Redmonds and D.E. sprinkled between the layers. I got a load of very wet grass alfalfa hay and was sure it would all mold. I did that and I didn't lose but 5 bales out of the semi load. |
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Champ
Posts: 19623
Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm | We don't have many snakes big enough to make a dent in the mice/rat population. Actually the plastic is better at keeping the humidity off the underside of the bale as long as the plastic isn't wet before you put hay on it and the bales are properly cured before putting them down. Todays humidity is 91%. Even in the summer we have quite high humidity. But probably not as much as you do. I've done it this way for long enough to know keeps the bottom bales from molding. It's not like mice don't find a way to live anywhere they can. I'm confused by the cat poop comments. Don't your cats bury their excrement? |
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Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| If the hay I buy is wet enough that it needs salt I am taking it back. There is NO excuse for this. |
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Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | streakysox - 2015-12-05 9:36 AM
If the hay I buy is wet enough that it needs salt I am taking it back. There is NO excuse for this.
Winner winner chicken dinner......m |
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Swiffer PIcker Upper
Posts: 4015
Location: Four Corners Colorado | There is a fine line between too dry and too wet. At least here. Nothing is more irritating than flakes that don't stick together or when all your leaves blow away in the wind when you toss the hay and all the horses are left with is a pile of stems. In my local area is seems the are always baled way too dry.
Edited by equussynergy 2015-12-04 12:02 PM
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Miracle in the Making
Posts: 4013
| Chandler's Mom - 2015-12-01 9:35 PM We do the pallets also with a thin layer of hay spread over it. For some reason damp seems to still seep in without that layer. Explain the salt please, either of y'all!
wood attracts moisture putting black plastic down prevents it from getting in hay the rock salt draws what mositure is in the hay to the salt and like komet said leave some
space so it can breathe |
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My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | vjls - 2015-12-04 5:28 PM
Chandler's Mom - 2015-12-01 9:35 PM We do the pallets also with a thin layer of hay spread over it. For some reason damp seems to still seep in without that layer. Explain the salt please, either of y'all!
wood attracts moisture putting black plastic down prevents it from getting in hay the rock salt draws what mositure is in the hay to the salt and like komet said leave some
space so it can breathe
Thanks for this--I'll remember it if we have an issue again. |
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Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | OregonBR - 2015-12-04 10:29 AM
We don't have many snakes big enough to make a dent in the mice/rat population. Actually the plastic is better at keeping the humidity off the underside of the bale as long as the plastic isn't wet before you put hay on it and the bales are properly cured before putting them down. Todays humidity is 91%. Even in the summer we have quite high humidity. But probably not as much as you do. I've done it this way for long enough to know keeps the bottom bales from molding. It's not like mice don't find a way to live anywhere they can. I'm confused by the cat poop comments. Don't your cats bury their excrement?
Yeah, they bury it in the middle of the hallway of the barn where I always seem to step in it or the dog finds it... yuk. We don't have any cats right now. We get a stray every now and then, but the crazy neighbor cat gets insanely territorial and comes over just to run the other cat away. She won't hang out in the barn and hunt mice, she only starts hanging around to bother other cats. She is their inside cat, so she goes home at night and just patrols past our place during the day. She probably gets a baby snake every now and then, but there are plenty of full grown ones that she can't kill. They keep up with any mice that might try to move in. Even through the winter, we get plenty of warm weather where the snakes will come out and move around. Perfect snake habitat here. |
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Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | gotothewhip - 2015-12-04 10:09 AM
Dont Use a Shipping Container! A friend was bringing one up to his cabin, and rather than haul it empty- he loaded it with hay for me ( he had tons of grass hay and we were in a drought) We opened the doors when it arrived and FOG rolled out of that thing! It had steamed all the hay in route (September) and they were too tightly sealed. We ended up feeding it all to the sheep.
That's good to know. Thanks for the info. I will probably just bite the bullet and get a flat trailer just for my hay and do the carport thing eventually. |
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Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | HarlanLivesOn - 2015-12-04 10:08 AM
Nita - 2015-12-03 12:08 PM
Does anybody know if you can store hay in a metal shipping container? Dry, square bales is what I want to store. My husband says it would get too hot. However, I think it would work if we put them on pallets and left some room at the top for the air to move. There is a place near me that sells the containers and they will put vents in the sides, if you pay extra for it. That's what I want to get for my hay.
We only have a three stall barn and recently added a third horse. One stall is full of hay, so one of my horses is living in the hallway right now. He is none too happy.
The coop I use stores their hay and straw that way, even during the summer. They have no vents in theirs and they close the doors when no one is around. They have never had any problems.
I just saw your reply... now I'm undecided. I'm going to have to compare prices of shipping containers vs carport and trailer. I would want the vents, tho. I don't bale my own hay and I try to get good hay, but sometimes you have to buy what's available and I wouldn't want it to all go bad. |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | I've seen shipping containers with vents. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 403
Location: Armuchee, GA, NW section of Ga | Yes we have a shipping container for our hay storage. Our insurance company told us not to store in the barn and our insurance is cheaper. We have pallets in the bottom and stack on top of them. The hay is not stacked tightly, or too high for ventilation and the pallets keep dry by not having them on the bottom. Close the doors to keep weather out. It was cheaper too than having to build something.
Edited by janjan1 2015-12-05 5:13 PM
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storing hay