Round Bale Storage

[redman135]

In post #9 just stack the bales so they are not touching, this lets the rain run of without causing bale to rot at the contact point.
Find out if "shower hats" are still made for big round bales. They are a fitted black plastic "hat" with an elastic to hold the hat on the bale. You stand the bale on its end and fit the "hat" ,again bales should not touch other bales due to rot. They withstand high wind but not full on gales. I have not seen any around for years as everyone has gone to pit or wrapped silage now.
I don't remember what the brand name was.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Just got it all stacked today and covered with a big blue tarp. It will be all gone in 7-10 weeks by the way my cattle eat.

 

[powerscol]

John - if I may ask, where are you getting you bales? I ask as they sure look loose. Being that way they will spoil quickly as can be seen in the photo. If your bailing them yourself, check you tensioner.
Have a great new year,

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

John - if I may ask, where are you getting you bales? I ask as they sure look loose. Being that way they will spoil quickly as can be seen in the photo. If your bailing them yourself, check you tensioner.
Have a great new year,

I'm buying them from a local guy for $20 each to get me threw the winter, the cattle eat it just fine, there not very good examples of round bales but there cheap.

 

[powerscol]

At $20 that sounds like a good deal - especially if the cows eat it all

 

[holeycow]

just saw the thread. You may be OK like that as long as your tarp is taut and sheds the rain/melting snow.

In the future; as others have suggested don't stack bales so the sides touch. Put them tight end to end and separate the rows by a foot or two. On the ground is fine where I live, maybe not where you live. Net wrap bales shed moisture really well. Your climate is different than mine, but stacking round bales like that in my climate is about the poorest way possible because they gather rain and snow and the moisture has no place to go except into the bales.

Even bales placed randomly with air flow around them will keep well, especially net-wrapped ones.

If you insist on stacking bales one should go on edge and the other on its side on top. This isn't even acceptable with net-wrap, IMO. Only marginally acceptable with twine.

Make sure your tarp stays in good shape and you'll be fine this time.

I stack hundreds and hundreds of bales in rows every winter. I have tried several ways over the years. The worst luck I've had is in a "pyramid". I only did that to save space. Once. Ventilation and high ground is king. Unfortunately, we plan on 220 days feed a year around here because we need 210. Seriously. Unless your climate is very wet the bales can just sit out. Spaced out.

And tight bales keep a lot better, as already pointed out. 20 bucks is cheap hay. Cows need good food just like you and me. In fact better, cause we don't have babies. Hungry animals will eat anything if they are forced.

 

[Wagtail]

View attachment 493428

Just got it all stacked today and covered with a big blue tarp. It will be all gone in 7-10 weeks by the way my cattle eat.

I know that the OP doesn't have a shed to store but I couldn't resist posting a picture of the 34 rounds I've just stored in two bays of my shed... it would have been 35 if not for that pesky frame.

The local hay crop was huge this year! So much so that there're rumours about a second cut this year... except no one's got room to store it!

 

[RPW]

I did the pyramid with tarps. My main problem was I oriented them the wrong direction and the tarps are catching the wind and are ripping to shreds. We've had many of days with high winds this year. I had a bumper crop with 3 cuttings. Could have even for a 4th although it would have been a light one. As long as I can keep the hay covered it has kept it's color with little to no spoilage.

 

[BrokeFarmerJohn]

Here's an update, I never got a picture after I tarped it. it's been raining and super windy last few days.

 

[redman135]

Rpw, re your tarps, patch the holes or replace as needed ,then tie down with a net. This net over tarp system works well in high wind areas as well as a full gale. When you tie the weights to the net make sure the weights (I used old car tyres) are off the ground. This keeps the tension on the net and stops the wind from shredding the tarp under the net.