Help ! Hay cut & ready to be baled & stacked

amc

amc

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Need some advice please.......as above and would like to know .... we expect to have about 350 bales, what's the best way to stack them ? several small stacks ? 1 big stack, what to cover them with (tarps), any advice will be gratefully received....... and how knackered will we be afterwards
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i have just done 126- on my own
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I have stacked them "brickwork" so changing direction with each layer. On pallets in my spare polytunnel so can only go a maximum of 5 layers. If stacking outside then do a layer of "sacrificial straw" at the bottom and if possible on the side of the prevailing wind to protect the hay, then cover in a big tarp
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Oh and i am completely totally utterly kn*ckered
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Thanks DDD, I will have my pal to help me, thank goodness,
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as I feel far to old to be doing all this but we'll save loads of money on hay so it'll be worth it....... would you do 1 large stack or 2 or 3 ?
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Hope you had a large G & T waiting for you when you'd finish
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We've got 5000 little bales and 600 round bales to get in over the weekend - oh joy. The little bales are going onto 2 big stacks in 2 barns.
 
You need to be careful if covering with tarps as the air cannot circulate and it can go mouldy, a barn is best really. I would have thought smaller stacks would be easier as you can use them one at a time and the tarps can be samller so easier to cover and uncover.
 
You will be very knackered! I think one big stack would be best. The bales in the middle of a stack always keep the best, so the fewer outside bales the better. If you are keeping it outside, the suggestion re the straw is a very good one. Don't wear short sleeves when stacking.
 
Thanks Guys
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.....as usual.....this really is a great forum for help advice, I'll let you know just how knackered I am when it's all done
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Oh & don't wear shorts either!

Years ago I use to work on the artics loading & unloading small straw bales use to get near 1500 on each load so had to load & unload them!
Better than any gym membership!
 
Long sleeves.

...even better, several strong men and you fire up the barbie and put the beer in ice to keep them motivated.
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One big stack on pallets, depending on the moisture level when it was cut, you need consider the air flow and what bulding your putting it in and what ventilation you have, to prevent the bales from sweating and don't mix old and new hay in the same stack.
 
[ QUOTE ]
gloves! , I only managed one blister this year.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have hands like asbestos so never need them! So forget to mention them!
Also if you do forget gloves you can pull out a little hay & have that in your hands to grab the twine with!
 
Right guys think I've got it now
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.......Pallets underneath & on top......1 large stack to minimise wastage ......no barn
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so tarps making sure we have adequate airflow....... as many fit chaps as I can find !.....failing that full body suit on for protection and a bucket of ice filled with gin & tonic
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for afterwards, Thank you all so much, both mine & my pals OH's are totally non-horsey and mine is jealous so refuses to help at all, stupid man
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It is back breaking work, something I really hate so I changed to making big bale haylege and let the tractors do the work!!
 
we spent today collecting in 60 bales that hadn't been stacked with the horse trailer and 4x4 and bringing them in, just 2 of us. The other stack of 170 has been covered in tarps for now, due to the forecast, but should be moved into the barn early next week, when we have more help and a trailer more up for the task!

I'm shattered now, although, swear to god, we spent as much time trying to secure tarps, as we did actually bringing hay in!
 
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