Storing hay in humid areas

[minimule]

I've lived in a dry climate all my life. Storing hay was easy. Now that I'm moving to where it is humid, does hay storage change?

Do you have to worry about it? Do you still store in a closed in barn? Do you have to do anything different?

My hay is stored in a metal barn, completely closed in with a twirly gig on the roof.

Thanks!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Shawna,

I just gave several bales of bermuda away yesterday. They had been stored under a leanto on a pallet since last August. The bales on top were a little faded, but all the bales under were nice. No bugs, except a couple of spiders, and dry. Now, we just had over 8" of rain but I don't think that would affect the hay as long as it is under cover and doesn't get wet. My sister has alfalfa from 2 years ago that is perfectly fine.

I gave that away because we just got back from NM, visiting friends and I brought home a pickup load of timothy. I'm sure you were pleasantly surprised at the price of hay in Texas compared to NM!! (My neighbors think I am crazy to pay $13 for a bale of grass hay when I can buy local bermuda for $3 a bale. Obviously more money than sense...)

 

[Genie]

This may not apply because we are in Southwestern Ontario but I'll share it anyway.

Our climate is hot and humid especially at haying time and fresh hay in the barn is stored with some spaces or we could have spontaneous combustion causing a blazing inferno.

I have also known us to have to "salt" between the layers of bales.

We have an old bank barn and the barn boards have slivers of space between them which keeps the air flowing slightly.

We leave the large barn doors open as well after the fresh bales are put in.

We buy a timothy/alfalfa mix and the cost is 2.75 a bale. We pay rent for the farmer's wagons and give him a little bonus for always providing hay that has never had any rain on it. Ends up costing us about 3.00 total per bale and it's always perfect quality.

 

[Shadows Fire]

Here in coastal oregon its best to store your hay in closed up barns with ventilation fans. I know the first year I moved here I stored alfalfa hay in an open barn-only a few bales luckily and they turned moldy on the outside quickly just from the moisture in the air.

The grass hay doesn't mold as quickly and it IS a good idea to salt between bales but in reality its the tops and sides that get the exposure so I tend to tarp the hay even inside my barn.

 

[Marty]

Under the right conditions, all it would take is one damp bale that went un-noticed for it to spontantous combust so you have to be careful.

Hay has to breathe. My hay is usually stored in the old hay shed with a tin roof is up on a row of double pallets and not jammed in too tightly, its not up against the walls and the door is ajar.I lay a lot of 4 X 4 posts across the top row and loosely drape a tarp only because there is so much dust its terrible. That tarp thing is where you can also really get in trouble and cause mold if there is no air circulating under it.

 

[Shadows Fire]

I kinda have to tarp, I have on uninsulated metal roof and it gets condensation on it and drips. I HATE it. Noisy as heck when it rains too. I will never have another metal roof like this again.

 

[minimule]

Thanks! Guess there is a whole new way of living I'll have to get used to.

 

[JaiteraMiniatures]

We just store the hay on a wooden floor under a lean-too with a tarp covering the open side...never had an issue. I've never lived anywhere but humid and I've never heard of anyone having issues unless they left the hay out in the open (obviously xD) Our hay is away from the barn thought...which may be something to consider. So I don't think you'll have to worry. I'm not sure where you're moving, but Mobile is probably the hottest, humiditist, rainiest place there is haha.

 

[ruffian]

We're in Michigan, and we get Rain, snow, rain, sun, sleet, heat, humidity, rain, snow, and heat. All this on one day some times!

I hate pallets!

I use old tires - just the tires, not the rims, and NEVER have any issues with mold or heat. I lay them out in a honeycomb pattern with the sides just touching. Great thing is they never break like pallets! I've twisted ankles plenty of times by pallet slats breaking or slipping between the boards. Plus it's easier to pick up individual tires once the bales are used. Pallets you have to wait until the entire 4' area is cleared. One other thing - pallets can "wick" moisture up into bales if your barn floods or the floor gets wet. Tires don't

Tires are usually free, and I can store them inside or outside. One last concern with pallets - you don't know what was stored on them before you got them. Pallets can be used again in different industries before they are given away or sold. It could be paper products or insecticides, bleach, , or hundreds of other things .

 

[chandab]

One last concern with pallets - you don't know what was stored on them before you got them. Pallets can be used again in different industries before they are given away or sold. It could be paper products or insecticides, bleach, , or hundreds of other things .

This is a big concern for me, and try to be careful, and recently found a new place to get clean pallets. One feed elevator has plenty of new pallets that have only had feed on them.