Top Floor Of A Barn Where Bales Are Stored

Will the bales be lifted by hand or a tractor when being stored and during feedings.

Top floor of a barn where bales are stored.

The raking process mounds up the hay slightly and prepares it to be picked up by the hay baler being pulled by a tractor. Store hay on pallets. The building shouldn t leak and should have decent ventilation. Check tarps on a regular basis to make sure they re securely tied down.

Round bales should also be stored on the twine or wrap side. As a general rule she suggested that square bales will need a footprint of 10 to 15 square feet for every ton of hay and for round bales 16 to 24 square feet will be required for every ton stored. In order to make a good decision you really need to know what it costs you each year to own a barn and how many bales you can store in that barn. The bales on top held the poles in place with their weight.

Never store hay directly on the floor or the ground. Use strong sturdy tarps free of holes or rips. Round bales usually weigh between 800 and 1 500 pounds each. They store well when flat ends are butted end to end in long rows.

If you are stacking hay outdoors on the ground stack the bales on wood pallets or old tires so air can circulate and the hay will not be in contact with ground moisture. This way you protect your barn your horses and your hay supply. A concrete floor is ideal for a hay barn because it keeps everything level dry and relatively clean. A sloped top created by pyramiding the final layers sheds snow and rain better than a flat one.

If you have an enclosed barn or shed to store hay in you don t. I found it easiest to buy 4 long metal poles from home depot. 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. Barn storage especially long term is best as it will prevent damage from weather.

The downside of concrete is that it can be quite pricey especially if you have a large hay barn. Make the barn wide enough to allow for the hay to be stacked with a 2 foot buffer between the edge of the haystack and the wall. Wood floors with gaps between the boards such as you would find on the upper level or threshing floor of a bank barn usually provide adequate air circulation. Rodents and other animals should be kept out and hay should be stored off the floor.

Good ventilation is needed during the first 1 3 weeks after baling to eliminate moisture quickly as it exits the stack she says. To make your life easier you can bring a few bales into the barn every couple of days as needed.