When you have taken the time energy and money to find good quality alfalfa hay like Barn 21 hay, you don't want to risk loosing it because of poor hay storage. At Barn 21, we hear all kinds of stories of good hay gone bad due to improper storage. Here are some tips that might help you keep your hay in optimal condition.
If you are storing your hay indoors, it is best to have a large tall area that has a clear air flow and keep away any kind of equipment or chemicals that might be flammable. If you are stacking your hay, it is best to keep it from touching the ground or concrete directly by using pallets to stack on top of to allow an air gap for the hay to breathe.
It is best to stack your hay flat with all your bales in the same direction for the first row of your stack. Then with the 2nd layer, flip the bales the other direction so that they are perpendicular to the first direction. Continue alternating each layer and you will have a stack of hay that will be well ventilated and will be safer than if you stacked it unevenly.
If your hay storage area does not have a door and is open to the weather, then you can use tarps loosely over the front of the hay to keep the rain out. Make sure you don't tie tarps or wrap tarps tightly over the hay or it may cause a situation where too much gas builds up and can cause a combustion problem.
We hear from a lot of alfalfa hay buyers in the nation and they all have different preferences in terms of how they store their hay, however, the best results we hear of are a barn area with an open air way to keep the hay from building up moisture.
Some types of metal horse barns can cause condensation in the barn in the morning, which drips on the hay. If you notice this you can tarp the top of the hay loosely to keep this from seeping into the hay and take it off later in the afternoon and let it all dry out.
I know people who build their barns both for their horse's comfort and their hay's survival. It is important to think about how you plan to store your hay before you build so you can make adequate accommodations for your good quality hay!
If you are storing your hay indoors, it is best to have a large tall area that has a clear air flow and keep away any kind of equipment or chemicals that might be flammable. If you are stacking your hay, it is best to keep it from touching the ground or concrete directly by using pallets to stack on top of to allow an air gap for the hay to breathe.
It is best to stack your hay flat with all your bales in the same direction for the first row of your stack. Then with the 2nd layer, flip the bales the other direction so that they are perpendicular to the first direction. Continue alternating each layer and you will have a stack of hay that will be well ventilated and will be safer than if you stacked it unevenly.
If your hay storage area does not have a door and is open to the weather, then you can use tarps loosely over the front of the hay to keep the rain out. Make sure you don't tie tarps or wrap tarps tightly over the hay or it may cause a situation where too much gas builds up and can cause a combustion problem.
We hear from a lot of alfalfa hay buyers in the nation and they all have different preferences in terms of how they store their hay, however, the best results we hear of are a barn area with an open air way to keep the hay from building up moisture.
Some types of metal horse barns can cause condensation in the barn in the morning, which drips on the hay. If you notice this you can tarp the top of the hay loosely to keep this from seeping into the hay and take it off later in the afternoon and let it all dry out.
I know people who build their barns both for their horse's comfort and their hay's survival. It is important to think about how you plan to store your hay before you build so you can make adequate accommodations for your good quality hay!