Excuse me, I'd just like to brag a tiny bit...

[seedcorn]

Where did hay come from? Either they were sold uncured hay or it was set. Western hay used to be imported here. Thing of beauty as the alfalfa looked like it was cut and baled but the low humidity dried it so fast compared to ours and it neve4 got bleached out. I’m talking alfalfa hay.

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

hm...not seeing any snappy comebacks yet...

 

[ducks4you]

I am not blessed to have a barn so I have always had to tarp it. Double stacked pallets under and double tarped over.

That is very creative but it would never work in IL. We live in a state that is a reclaimed swamp. ANYthing stored on the ground will rot on the bottom.

 

[bobm]

Where did hay come from? Either they were sold uncured hay or it was set. Western hay used to be imported here. Thing of beauty as the alfalfa looked like it was cut and baled but the low humidity dried it so fast compared to ours and it neve4 got bleached out. I’m talking alfalfa hay.

in our area of Cal. ... there are alfalfa fields from 20 acres to 1000 acres . Most are commercial farms with from 4-6 or even 7 cuttings / year depending on rainfall and irrigations and weather at that time of year. I buy at least 100+ tons of alfalfa hay in June per year and store most of it in a barn and the rest on pallets and covered with plastic tarps that I feed from June through Oct. without any raindrops falling on the stacks due to NO RAIN. I always make sure that I and delivery crews ALWAYS provide at least 2" of air space between each bale. Even then from time to time , by late Nov. the barn stored hay gets quite hot in the middle of the bales and a couple of times it looks like fog rising out of the top of the stack. This is standard practice for all that are in the farming business , but alas, those wanna be farmers always know better. Last year in Oregon , a commercial grass hay farmer lost 2 side by side barns with over 100 tons each of stacked grass hay under roof in late Nov. due to spontaneous combustion !!!

 

[seedcorn]

Bob, difference between lo humidity areas and hi humidity. We have to watch our hay here as well although we don’t have to separate. In Idaho, I swear they can cut it in morning, rake it at 1, bale at 3 and never see a single degree temp rise.......here we have to make sure it is cured or salted. Yes, even cured hay can pick up moisture from atmosphere. If it’s that’s a big problem, salt it, end of problem.

Like Illinois, we have to keep everything off of ground or have spoilage.

 

[thistlebloom]

Don't live in Illinois, never had a stack burn down, never lose bales from bottom mold.
Just blessed in spite of my ignorance I suppose.

If I only used one pallet high I probably would get moisture wicking up through the loose hay that settles under the pallet, but two high has seemed to be the ticket.

Hay's expensive and I want to get as much feed as I can from what I purchase.

You're right about Idahos dryness @seedcorn .

 

[thistlebloom]

in our area of Cal. ... there are alfalfa fields from 20 acres to 1000 acres . Most are commercial farms with from 4-6 or even 7 cuttings / year depending on rainfall and irrigations and weather at that time of year. I buy at least 100+ tons of alfalfa hay in June per year and store most of it in a barn and the rest on pallets and covered with plastic tarps that I feed from June through Oct. without any raindrops falling on the stacks due to NO RAIN. I always make sure that I and delivery crews ALWAYS provide at least 2" of air space between each bale. Even then from time to time , by late Nov. the barn stored hay gets quite hot in the middle of the bales and a couple of times it looks like fog rising out of the top of the stack. This is standard practice for all that are in the farming business , but alas, those wanna be farmers always know better. Last year in Oregon , a commercial grass hay farmer lost 2 side by side barns with over 100 tons each of stacked grass hay under roof in late Nov. due to spontaneous combustion !!!

Please never move near me. Things would be blowing up and burning down all over the place. I couldn't take all the disasters.

 

[ninnymary]

Please never move near me. Things would be blowing up and burning down all over the place. I couldn't take all the disasters.

But just think, it will rain on your parade!

Mary

 

[Collector]

Haha, Mary

 

[baymule]

Gee cousin, I just read this thread, you done good. You deserve a pat on the back...…..hot tub, massage and candlelight dinner. Besides zero to none, what are the chances of that happening?

I like your hay shelter, that is a good idea for storage when you have nowhere to stack hay. Square bales are nice, but I am spoiled to round bales. We now have a neighbor that stores our hay in his barn and delivers when we need hay. We pay $10 extra per bale for that service and it is worth every penny. I haven't touched a square bale since we moved here, except for a few for penned up weaning lambs.

I get you on the DIY unloading and stacking the hay. When we both worked, I was off Saturday, Sunday, DH was off Sunday and Monday. I did all I could on Saturdays so we could enjoy our Sundays together. I moved a lot of hay by myself so DH didn't have to. Sometimes I hooked up the trailer and got some help, sometimes not.

Kudos to you!