Ruined (Wet!) Round Hay and Straw Bales

[MrsMozartleto]

Any ideas on what to do with 1x hay bale and 3x straw bales?

I found out the hard way that the tarpaulin wasn't as waterproof as I thought it was... It was just a temporary thing whilst waiting for the barn to be emptied and then they could go back in there, only as with so many things in life it took longer and the bales got wet, as in very wet.

I can stick them on the muck heap and let them rot down, but if they could have another use that would be grand

 

[Palindrome]

It can be used by garderners as mulch for trees and veg plots, it helps keep the moisture in the soil (less watering to do) and prevent weeds from growing.
Also as bedding for chicken coop, goats, etc... if it can be dried out.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Plants lots of strawberries ?

 

[MrsMozartleto]

Just realised I should've said - it's rotted now in places. There's some good left, which I can bag up, but a lot is now bleugh.

That would be an awful lot of strawberries...

 

[MrsMozartleto]

It can be used by garderners as mulch for trees and veg plots, it helps keep the moisture in the soil (less watering to do) and prevent weeds from growing.
Also as bedding for chicken coop, goats, etc... if it can be dried out.

Is it of any use when it's mouldy?


Spot the person who is really (really) wishes she'd realised so much sooner

 

[marmalade76]

One of the advantages of round bales is that they can be stored outside because the rain runs off them, only what's on the outside will be "ruined".

 

[Ali27]

I’ve joined a land management Facebook groups and apparently putting old hay on bald patches is the done thing to stop weeds. I’m sure gardeners would love the straw in Winter!

 

[Shilasdair]

I'd weave a wicker sporran from the good bits of the straw, fill it with my enemies, and use the rest as fuel.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Pop it somewhere inconspicuous as a bug hotel. Wonderful for the birds. They leave the odd one dotted round the farm here for wildlife

 

[silv]

Mulch for your garden or advertise it free, someone out there would probably love it for their compost. I put old yukky hay on the bald patches of my paddocks and sometimes the seeds germinate and grow again, but obviously the horses don,t have access to it at that time. Also like the other poster said the birds love it.

 

[Flicker]

If there is any straw that isn’t disgustingly mouldy you could make an old fashioned wisp for strapping. Straw under a fleece is great for drying off a sweaty horse more quickly too, so you could save up a load somewhere dry ready for winter.
I love the ideas for sharing it with wildlife.

 

[I'm Dun]

I'd use the hay as mulch to fertilise and reseed anywhere that needs it. straw would head to the muck heap if gardners didnt want it

 

[marmalade76]

Mulch for your garden or advertise it free, someone out there would probably love it for their compost. I put old yukky hay on the bald patches of my paddocks and sometimes the seeds germinate and grow again, but obviously the horses don,t have access to it at that time. Also like the other poster said the birds love it.

I fill bald patches with the sweepings from the floor of my hay shed - works a treat.

 

[Palindrome]

Is it of any use when it's mouldy?


Spot the person who is really (really) wishes she'd realised so much sooner

Yes, it's fine even mouldy, you need a thick layer so the worst bits can go on the bottom. It is often used in permaculture. From experience, slugs love in it there so not necessarily good for lettuces. I have seen some people grow tomatoes directly in the straw bales too but not sure that there is an advantage to it.

And as poiuytrewq said, great for wildlife. One night last winter my 2 hens suddenly went crazy throwing themselves against the fence in their coop, I was watching TV but heard them and saw them through the window. So I open the window, climb through barefooted and in my PJs, thinking something is attacking my hens. I flash the light of my mobile phone through the coop and there it is, a big hedgehog sleeping in the straw. He wasn't going to do they any harm but they were terrified. I read up a bit on hedgehogs and apparently they like piles of leaves so the straw must have felt similar and a nice place to sleep whilst it was cold.

 

[Edgehog]

I am growing courgettes and butternut squash in 2 old rotten haylage bales, hay and straw would be just as good.

 

[marmalade76]

Yes, it's fine even mouldy, you need a thick layer so the worst bits can go on the bottom. It is often used in permaculture. From experience, slugs love in it there so not necessarily good for lettuces. I have seen some people grow tomatoes directly in the straw bales too but not sure that there is an advantage to it.

And as poiuytrewq said, great for wildlife. One night last winter my 2 hens suddenly went crazy throwing themselves against the fence in their coop, I was watching TV but heard them and saw them through the window. So I open the window, climb through barefooted and in my PJs, thinking something is attacking my hens. I flash the light of my mobile phone through the coop and there it is, a big hedgehog sleeping in the straw. He wasn't going to do they any harm but they were terrified. I read up a bit on hedgehogs and apparently they like piles of leaves so the straw must have felt similar and a nice place to sleep whilst it was cold.

A hedgehog moved in with my tortoise one night, Torty was not amused, only time I've ever seen him out in the dark.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

If it was winter I’d unroll it like carpet in muddy gateways…not sure otherwise..although Shilasdair idea is interesting???

 

[sunnyone]

The French farmers burned all of theirs in late April/early May in an attempt to keep the ground temperature up overnight, thereby minimising the losses of blossom in the vineyards.

 

[hock]

I was going to say that round bales are usually ok if stacked the right way but then spotted you’d got mould. I had 40 bales last year of stacked round bales offone of the paddocks and the horses scoffed it all. I put out two types of hay and they always ate the rained on round bales before the expensive stuff.