keeping hay under a tarpaulin?

alsxx

alsxx

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Does anyone do this? I'm seriously thinking that the easiest way forward is to get some big bale hay in from farmer along the lane, as no one locally does small bale (unless I cut my own this summer), and whilst I can get some its quite a trek tbh.

Due to storage though it would have to live on pallets outside, with a tarpaulin over the top. I've never done this before, but my mum seems to think the hay would sweat? So...thoughts/experiences pretty please! x
 
Absolutely fine to do this as long as you space it so that the air can circulate through the pallets.
Only proviso is that the hay must be 100% dry when the tarp goes on.:)
 
Thanks guys....I was planning on putting in a couple of posts and then having the hay bales between the side of my little barn (door is too small to get the big bales into!!!) and the posts with the tarp secured over the top and onto the pallets at the bottom so it doesn't get wet. That makes sense then about leaving space for the air to circulate.
 
Well when I did this years ago for some hay it did sweat and go mouldy as the tarpaulin gets quite warm. Also had it on pallets and spaced but maybe if you can rig something to let air circulate at the top to it may work.
 
Mine sits on a pallete with tarpauline over it and when it is small enough I move it into my little shed - had no problems doing this for years :)
 
Yip I do this - it's not on a palet but on a rubber matt sheltered round the side of my stable and covered in tarp - I've had it for 3 weeks now with no issue. I am considering a bale saver thing for future bales though.
 
Oh see thats what I dont want to happen - ruined hay.

How long do they take to go 'off'? Or is it more dependant on us having warm weather...? I could have a couple of big round bales delivered each month, if they would keep for 4 weeks under a tarp that would be fine.
 
You would need to ensure the tarpulin was off the bales and that there was some open end or something so that the air got round. You will find that in warmer weather ir if there is a dew on the ground you will get condensation on the underneath of the tarpulin and this will make your hay go a bit off. If you can get the tarpulin off on dry days to let the air get round that would be best.
If you have the hay on pallets on the ground (soil based or grass) you will need to use it in a reasonable time frame or you will find the bales draw up the moisture from the ground and make them musty...you can get some ground membrane to prevent thsi happening as I do this in my spare field stable.
 
I have to store mine under a tarpaulin as I have no other storage facility. However, do make sure your tarpaulin is completely waterproof. I lost a few bales on the top of the pile where the tarpaulin had tiny holes in it and the hay got wet and rotted. I now use two tarps, one on top of the other, just to make sure.
 
I've been doing this with my small hay bales because I'm too lazy to cart them across the fields for the ponies. Saves time, energy and the hay has not been ruined (so far!)
 
Yep I have been doing it for years and through trial and error I have found the following. Keep it off the ground I use pallets. Good quality tarp. I use old rugs on top of the hay between the hay and the tarp stops any sweating or if the tarp gets ripped etc stops the hay getting wet. I haven't lost a bale in 2 years.

Liz
 
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