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The way you stock your hayloft or shed can save you money by preventing hay loss caused by mold and vermin. Quality hay left exposed to the elements and nesting animals rapidly becomes spoiled, unfeedable hay. Here's how to be sure yours stays in peak condition during storage:
Make the roof watertight. Before you bring in new hay, check the floor for dark stains, indicating water leaks directly above them. If you stack hay in those spots, it will grow moldier with each rain. Have the leaky roofing material patched or replaced.
Catch condensation. If your loft or shed has a tendency to "sweat" as daily temperature changes cause interior condensation, tack a thin layer of plastic to the underside of the rafters to catch moisture that would otherwise fall on the bales.
Animal-proof the area. Plug rat and mouse holes with steel wool or rat-wire mesh. Welcome a resident blacksnake if one moves in because he'll keep the rodent population in check better than any cat. But if you've seen evidence that larger wildlife, such as raccoons, move in during winter months, cover soft openings under the eaves with wire mesh, and keep windows and doors closed.
Leave the floor a little littered. Left on the mow floor, an inch or two of "fines," consisting of hay leaves and other small particles, encourages air circulation beneath the bales, thus inhibiting mold growth. Stacking of hay on pallets is good for circulation, but the space beneath creates a perfect habitat for rodents.
Bring older bales up front. If you don't make a point of rearranging all your leftover hay before each new shipment is added, you end up feeding newer hay first and leaving the old stuff to grow even more ancient and nutrient depleted. Pull old bales to the front or side before stacking in new hay, and feed them first before starting on the fresher supply.
Stack bales for circulation. Place bales on their sides so the more uneven, "nonstring" surface rests on the floor or underlying bales to encourage air circulation throughout the stack. Leave a bit of a space between the bales in each row, and alternate the orientation of successive layers so they sit at right angles with layers above and below. This pattern "ties" the stack together, while also keeping the bales from packing together too tightly.--EQUUS Staff
[...] ground). If your feed-storage area is next to a dirt road or other- wise has dust issues, keep your hay supply [...]
Much of storing hay is all about location. Different rules apply to different parts of the country. Living in the north where significantly higher rainfall accompanies our climate, we have found it necessary to practice multiple methods to store hay successfully. And when combining all of them, success is found more often than not. First off, get the hay off the ground. Hay settles over months and as it “Sweats” it becomes less compact and bales become looser than when baled. Therefor putting poles under is not nearly as promising of a method as pallets. Hay will pull moisture from the ground or cement. Putting on pallets allows air to circulate. I have supplied hay to horse owners for 20 years and usually hundreds of clients per year with 100 bales at a time. Quality hay is 1/2 the harvesting and 1/2 the storage. Allow it to “Sweat” which is a term farmers use for breathe. Hay will heat up and cool down for 2 weeks after harvested, so allow good fresh air flow during this time to ensure proper sweating. If possible, allow a loose stack with spacing around every couple bales as stacked. If unrealistic, stack it on its side. Our family has found over 80 years if hay is stacked on its side vs on bottom as 90% of people stack hay, at feeding its significantly better quality. It allows a better airflow around bales. If you find your hay after baling a little tough, place on side and after every tier, sprinkle small salt pellets as you would use for water softner. If you live or have cottage on a lake, you know what happens to your salt shaker in humid summers, it sucks the moisture. We have baled hay early when days of rain are coming, put in barn, sprinkled salt and checked 3 weeks later and been amazed. Yes the horses will drink little more water when fed, but thats never been a bad thing. Most important, circulate air. Understand one thing as being the most important, hay cures for weeks. The better airflow you have, the less heat. Less heat creates less mold or heat damage and spore growth. Don’t be fooled, hay is always higher moisture than you think. As a custom baler, 75% of my 3rd generation farmers call me and say “Its ready come bale it” If I ask “is it under 20%,” they always respond “Ohh yeah its drier than %^$#” WRONG its dry on the leaf but the stem is still to moist. If generations of farmers still get it wrong, are you certain your hay is dry enough? Provide every possible advantage and your animals will be healthier, you will feed less due to better quality and less risk of mold or fire. Turn a simple fan on in your loft to circulate fresh air into loft, leave doors open when possible for 2-3 weeks. Do anything and everything to allow the hay to properly cure. Wondering what you could have done is always more painful than wondering if you did to much.
If you have a supplier who produces good forage, and you store it with some knowledge, you will save more money.
Good luck.