Hay Storage question

oldforestor · Dec 16, 2015

I need to store my hay in a loft above my horses. I realize that's not ideal, but because that's the reality of the deal, I want to see if I can do some things to make it safer.
As I only bale my own hay, I have some flexibility. I only bale in perfect conditions. Putting up hay that's even remotely damp defeats the purpose of doing it myself. So, the hay will be baled at less than 18% moisture. But I still want to be as safe as I can. I am thinking of putting up a shed that will hold two full wagons and storing the hay there until I need the wagons again for the next cutting. So my question is, is there a timespan after which it is very unlikely to have a bale catch fire? LIke if it doesn't blow up in 30 days, then it's safe?

Farmer495 · Dec 16, 2015

I've hayed for years and never once used a moisture meter. I don't bale until it's dry, and that depends on the weather. Normally bale within 48 hours of mowing.

Doesn't mean you can't get a bale with a damp or green streak in it. If you suspect a bale is damp, you can set it aside (usually will feel heavier than the rest)

I'd have no issue leaving hay on wagons in a shed. Our squares go directly into the barn mow within hours of being baled.

strum456 · Dec 16, 2015

If hay is going to heat, it will show signs almost immediately. Especially with the small quantaties you are talking about, if it didn't catch fire within a week, I don't think it is going to. Heating leads to mold, and is certianly not a good, but it happens. I woudn't worry too much about burning anything down since you said yourself that you don't bale wet or green hay.

MMagis · Dec 16, 2015

The only time you need to worry is if you bale some questionable hay. Doesn’t sound like you need to worry about it at all. If you ever get in situation where you need to get it up before rain, leave the wagon outside and throw a tarp over it. I sure wouldn’t build another building and handle hay twice.

RedNeckRacin · Dec 16, 2015

Never used a moisture meter and never burnt anything up. I can smell the hay and tell if it's ready along with feeling it. We have even salted hay in the mow to pull the moisture when we had to bale damp due to coming rain. Having a seperate building for storage that can accommodate a couple full wagons is awesome and it opens up the possibility of using a hay handling system in the future. It's up to you but I'd make it big enough to store equipment too if you have anything outside. If you have the room over the horses for a loft I'd just make sure it's strong enough and have at it.

Ed of all trades · Dec 16, 2015

I put up 10,000 bales a year for about 10 years before I went to round bales. Always put them up with just a little moisture in them. Never had a problem with mold, I put up hay for my cows but was picky about quality. My hay had to have just a little moisture in it so I would not loose my leaves. The hay would heat slightly but it would be cooling down by the 2nd day. Never had a tester. Never worried about fire, but if I had a load that got rained on, saw on the truck, I would scatter it out so that it would not heat. No more than one layer thick. that way the heat would just rise out of the bale instead of causing problems. Ed

zzvyb6 · Dec 16, 2015

The problem you might have is storing the hay right above the horses. These critters give off A LOT of moisture/humidity so unless you use a tarp or sheet plastic between the hay and the horses, the bottom layer in your hayloft right above the horses may go bad (mold). I use a Delmhorst hay meter to calibrate my fingers. 18% on my meter is in a yellow zone (as in marginal). Best advice is that you should be able to hear the hay sizzle as it gets raised up by the pickup tines. Most common problem with 'wet' hay is not the whole field or windrow, its the outside round and a couple of wet plugs somewhere 'out there' in the field. When stacking the hay bales inside, keep them edge up and packed as tight as you can manage to prevent air (oxygen) from getting to any of them.

Since balers punch out hay by dimension, and not weight, a 'heavy' bale or a lopsided by weight bale is a candidate for a problem.

Open them up far away from the others and feed these out asap.

oldforestor · Dec 17, 2015

Super answers. Thank you.
The barn is set up with a good eave and ridge vent system so inside moisture is not an issue. Only the aisle has a loft above 108'x12'. The stalls are open above and can circulate to the vents freely. I may do the shed anyway-just a drive thru shed off an existing storage building in case of rain before getting them in the loft.
Again, while I understand that anything can happen with the weather, I only have to bale 3 cuttings so I have the luxury of going when I see many days of perfect dry, sunny, high pressure weather. I'll even bale early to take advantage of a sweet hay curing stretch. My main concern was, if I get everything right, is fire an issue- and it sounds like unless I get an odd heavy bale I'm good. My hayfield has no shade and sits high up on a ridge so it sounds like things look good.

zzvyb6 · Dec 17, 2015

Since you could put the hay in the same building as the horses, do it. Why should you have to drag/move bales from one place to another? Best scenario is to have hay dropped from above down to a holding area near the stalls for convenience during feeding. Minimize the work in the bar at all costs is the rule in my barn. That means a mow (horizontal) elevator and a drop opening in the floor for feedout.

ultrarunner · Dec 17, 2015

Ed of all trades said:
I put up 10,000 bales a year for about 10 years before I went to round bales. Always put them up with just a little moisture in them. Never had a problem with mold, I put up hay for my cows but was picky about quality. My hay had to have just a little moisture in it so I would not loose my leaves. The hay would heat slightly but it would be cooling down by the 2nd day. Never had a tester. Never worried about fire, but if I had a load that got rained on, saw on the truck, I would scatter it out so that it would not heat. No more than one layer thick. that way the heat would just rise out of the bale instead of causing problems. Ed

That's a lot of hay... about a quarter million dollars worth here in the SF Bay Area where baled hay has been pushing $25... nothing to sneeze at!