Hay storage. Freaking out a bit.

[PapaverFollis]

So I'm getting 30 round bales delivered tomorrow. I hope tomorrow because getting them stored away is going to take a while as we're going to have to roll them in by hand.

Anyway.

I'm now freaking out. About fires mostly.

I'm under the distinct impression that the hay man is very very pleased with this hay so I infer from that that it was baled good and dry.

This is my hay storage barn.


It's nice and dry in there. We have tarps to put over to keep off condensation drips. And obviously have pallets to keep them off the floor. I can open doors at both ends and can store bales with gaps between. And we don't get particularly hot weather up here so that helps.

I'm just trying to gauge the level of risk. I don't want to leave it outside to get wet for 4 more weeks... I've never really bought a barn full of hay before. I don't know what's normal!

Can anyone advise whether we're being really thick for putting 2 week baled 4ft round bales inside? Last year I got small bales in November so I didn't even think about. All previous hay buying has been done a few bales at a time or by the livery yard.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I'm under the distinct impression that the hay man is very very pleased with this hay so I infer from that that it was baled good and dry.

That is key. It’s only poorly made green hay that is a fire risk - I recently posted a thread about it, because this year’s hay off my field was green. We were forced to bale it a day early due to rain. In the event, it hasn’t heated up at all.

Well made hay will not self combust.

 

[PapaverFollis]

That is key. It’s only poorly made green hay that is a fire risk - I recently posted a thread about it, because this year’s hay off my field was green. We were forced to bale it a day early due to rain. In the event, it hasn’t heated up at all.

Well made hay will not self combust.

Thank you. That's good to hear. I got the impression he was overflowing with pride in his hay this year. ? I could hear him on the phone talking to OH and he was... effusive in his praise. so hopefullllllyyyyy ? I actually have nothing to worry about.

I was just chatting to my Dad though who is both an ex-fireman and the world's biggest worrier... so it set me off good and proper.

 

[paddy555]

I would leave the tarp off for the moment, you can always crawl along the top and put it on later, and I would leave both sets of doors open to let the air through. Then go in and check it a few times. Perhaps leave a tiny walkway to get through. If it's 2 weeks old it has presumably cooled down somewhere ie in the field or a barn.

 

[Tiddlypom]

This is my diy heat conductor to check for any heating. It’s a 2m long galvanised earthing stake, suggested by a helpful HHOer on my thread. Mine are small bales.

 

[PapaverFollis]

It's been on the field since baling.

I think we can store it in such a way that I'll be able to move round all the bales. So good air flow too. Can leave doors open unless the wind really gets up or the rain starts coming sideways so should be doable at least until it is 6 weeks old which seems to be when the main risk is over?

 

[PapaverFollis]

I will have to put about 5 or 6 bales in the field shelter too but less worried about those as they will have good air flow.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Ventilation is important for good storage try not to lean any on the sides restricting the airflow.

 

[JanetGeorge]

Some good advice - the risk with well made hay is low (unless you have any smokers around!) Just don't stack them on top of each other, leave space between them (6-9" at their widest point is ample) and only put tarp on top - not around.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Thank you. Hopefully it has been as well made as he says. And I'll pay attention to airflow. MrPF ws looking at temperature probes! He doesn't do things by halves.... I think some metal spikes to feel the centre of the bales would suffice. But we'll see.

Just got to worry about it actually being delivered and getting it put away now.

 

[PapaverFollis]

So my hay didn't get delivered on the 7th... it's coming tomorrow now. 99% sure. Sitting awake worrying about getting it all put away and about the driver not being able to reverse onto the property or the hay actually being rubbish etc etc and on and on and on.

 

[holeymoley]

The rod thing is a good idea. I unfortunately obtained a bale off of a very inexperienced guy a number of years ago, luckily I only bought the one but I leant against it for some reason and thought sh*t this is a bit warm! Cue YO and I unraveling the damn thing and airing it across the yard. Thankfully I’ve never ever experienced it again. Wouldn’t touch the guy with a barge pole, he still cuts his hay in the rain then leaves it 1 day then bales.... absolute rubbish.

My current guy is great, we had a solid week of dry weather(rare up here!) and he cut the first day, turned continuously for 3-4 maybe even 5 days and then baled and took it away. Now that’s dry!

If your guy is convinced it’s dry enough which he sounds like he is then it should be absolutely fine, just leave enough air between them all.

 

[Kay Burton]

You have nothing to worry about. I've done it for more than five times and everything is fine. But be sure that it is done well. Because if it's not, there is a real risk and better not to place it there.

 

[PapaverFollis]

I'm mostly worried about it actually arriving, unloading without incident, and myself and MrPF having to roll them all into place by hand.

I'm just having to trust the chap who has made it that it's well made! He says it is.

 

[southerncomfort]

If you have chain harrows, we've moved hay before by turning the harrows upside down and sitting the bales on top and then towed it to where its needed.

 

[PSD]

Well I have learnt something today! I didn’t know that hay could catch fire by itself when not stored properly!

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

This is my diy heat conductor to check for any heating. It’s a 2m long galvanised earthing stake, suggested by a helpful HHOer on my thread. Mine are small bales.

I am probably being very dense here - but how does that work please Tiddlypom? I am assuming that the pole will become hot to the touch?

This year I am looking at the possibility of our hay not being as dry as I would like when baled - this looks like a good way of keeping an eye on it when in the hay shed. I would be looking at roughly 150 stored 8 high - would I need a few dotted about and pushed in at a few different places do you think?

 

[teddypops]

Well I have learnt something today! I didn’t know that hay could catch fire by itself when not stored properly!

Only hay that has not been properly dried out before baling. Well made, dry hay will not over heat.

 

[PapaverFollis]

If you have chain harrows, we've moved hay before by turning the harrows upside down and sitting the bales on top and then towed it to where its needed.

We've got no machinery at all. Not even a car right now as Land Rover is poorly and little car is getting fixed up after it's failed MOT! So we've got our work cut out. Maybe our tame farmer will pass and take pity on us... but we don't want to ask because they've already helped us out loads.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I am probably being very dense here - but how does that work please Tiddlypom? I am assuming that the pole will become hot to the touch?

That’s correct. I pulled the pole out at regular intervals, daily at first, and checked that the pole was at ambient temperature along its whole length - it was. If the hay had been heating in the stack, the tip which had been inserted deep into the middle of the stack would have been warm or hot to the touch.

Longer or alternative pokey sticks are available, but that is what we had knocking about .

 

[Cortez]

Take deep, calming breaths. How many hay barns on fire have you seen? I've been baling and storing hay for over 50 years and I've only ever seen one. In America, and caused by an electrical fault. Yes, I've had hay get hot in the stack (and ruined, unfortunately), and yes, I've heard of spontaneous combustion through overheating - it does happen. But if your hay is well-made (check), stacked on pallets (check), is not touching the walls and has a good airflow (double check). You will be fine.

Good luck with getting it in the barn by hand though, I hope you have plenty of helpers!

 

[PapaverFollis]

? I'll let you know how broken we are by the end of the day. No word yet though so could be being let down by the haulage company again!

 

[ester]

PF some years we have rolled all our hay off the field and onto pallets in the barn. We being me and my parents!
The year it was going ot rain soon the solution was to ply some lads with alcohol and like boys do they turned it into a competition of who could do it the fastest!

Round bales tend to make their own air gaps anyway. We have small storage space and preference is smalls but even when not as dry we have opened everything up in the daytime and been ok.

 

[PapaverFollis]

My brain is just living it's best life worrying about it all. And now it's having an even better time because it's no longer "the morning" and it was supposed to be coming in "the morning"... I think I'm going to be sitting in a darkened room by this evening.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Seriously what changes between 8pm at night "I'll pick it up tomorrow morning" and the next day "radio silence"? Has he just decided he can't be arsed to work today or what?

I'm so tired of all kinds of companies out in the sticks just having the shitest of shite customer service because they can get away with it...

 

[Polos Mum]

The relief at having the winters hay in the barn in front of you is hard to explain to non horsey people!

If you can we move round bales very successfully by rolling them off the trailer onto pallets and then using a hand pallet truck (which we bought on ebay for £50 - best purchase ever) across concrete / flat ish surfaces it's really good.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Well I was going to say we don't have a hand pallet truck (have used one before, very useful!)... but at this rate we could probably order one and have it arrive before the damn hay.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I hope that your hay delivery arrives soon, PF, and can be moved relatively easily into position in your barn.

I hate waiting for deliveries, too, even small non important ones.

 

[PSD]

Only hay that has not been properly dried out before baling. Well made, dry hay will not over heat.

I honestly had no idea this even happened!

 

[Tiddlypom]

I honestly had no idea this even happened!

Rather too often for comfort in these parts. Usually at farms with huge barns full of hay, not small outfits.