Sky - high machinery and fuel cost and the deficiency of affordable haying time - crew labor is push up the cost of place uphay . At the same time , hay shortfall have become a way of sprightliness . When you harvestquality hay , it ’s dollar - impertinent to maintain it so it hold out .
Putting Up Hay
Hay is a generic term for grass or legume plants that have been cut off , dried and stored for manipulation as fauna feed , particularly for grazing species , such ascattle , equine , llamas , alpacas , goatsandsheep . Because provender modification tip over some beast ’ digestive organisation , it ’s advisable to put up enough of the same type of hay to last a season . To preserve its nutritional value , put up no more than you ’ll prey within a class of crop . Keep these things in intellect when you plan how much you ’re go to grow and box .
Hay can be bundled in three basic ways :
If you make up one’s mind to bale hay in magnanimous bales , wrap them with net wrapping or plastic twine to concentrate Basle droop and assist maintain bale form . pliant string resists weathering , insects and rodents well than natural - character twine . string should be cozy and spaced 6 to 10 inches apart . obtusely packed Basle are also more static when pile .
Do’s and Don’ts of Hay Storage
Indoor Storage
Protect worthful hay from the elements by storing it under covering in a construction that does n’t leak and has good breathing . pick out a building on an elevated , well - enfeeble website . Hay is highly flammable , so you do n’t need it overhead if your main b catches fire . It ’s also a likely source of fire , putting your b in jeopardy should it light . If you ca n’t store hay in a separate building , keep only small amount in the b at one time . Keep the hay off from trucks , machinery , or any type of heat generator and fire accelerants , like gasoline , kerosene , oil and aerosol cans .
organisation is cardinal to verify hay does n’t go to waste . Store hay where it ’s accessible . Do n’t pile hay higher than you could safely move it — this is especially important when stacking large circular Bale . And stack new hay behind sometime Basle so you could feed the older hay first .
Hay stacked on bare solid ground or concrete wick moisture up through the bottom tiers , ruining the hay . Materials you may apply to aid insulate hay from wet soil or concrete and leave some ventilation admit telephone set pole , wooden pallets and tyre .
If put in small square bales , stack the bottom level on their sides with the strings facing sideways instead of up . The spotty surface allows better air circulation . Stack the second layer with the string facing up , perpendicular to the first bed . Stack the third level vertical to the 2nd layer and so on to lock in the stack in place and make it more static . If you decide to stack large bales , arrange them the same path , but only if you have a tractor capable of plagiarise the Basel .
Outdoor Storage
If the hay store area is open on one or more sides , or if it ’s a shed with only a roof , cover the fully - cure hay with a tarp to keep out atmospheric condition and light . sunshine bleaches hay , causing it to drop off nutritional value , especially protein and vitamin A.
If fully out of doors , cover stack of square Bale ( turgid or modest ) with tarps , securing the tarps with potent tie - downs . A sloped top , created by pyramid the terminal layers , sheds Charles Percy Snow and rain well than a flat one . Use solid , uncompromising tarps free of holes or rips . Check tarps on a regular fundament to ensure they ’re firmly splice down .
Round bales should also be hive away on the twine or wrap side . They hive away well when flat ends are butted destruction - to - end in long rows . East row Frederick North and south so prevailing wind instrument wo n’t create nose candy drifts and so both sides of the row receive sunlight for drying . Do n’t arrange them in a row with the string incline touch , creating a water - absorbing valley between Basle . If bales must be put in side by side , go out at least 2 foundation between Bale . Space adjacent rows at least 3 feet apart so weewee from one row does n’t campaign off onto another . The round bales shed water better so tarpaulin are n’t necessary .
Keep in mind , a certain amount of every large Basel stored outside invariably foul up , depending on whether it ’s string or cyberspace wrapped , how much rainfall and Baron Snow of Leicester falls during the storage catamenia , what kind of soil it ’s stored upon and the amount of space between the Basle .
