Storing hay outdoors - help?

[Jingleballs]

Unfortunately there is not a lot of storage at my yard and hay/bedding needs to be stored outside.

I always get a large round bale as it works out cheaper than getting smaller square bales but storing it is difficult.

I've got a plether of pallets and tarpaulin which I weigh down with stones etc but it can make getting into the bale difficult and I often end up soaked, filthy or the tarp gets blown off and the hay gets soaked - its even worse when it snows!

I was wondering if anyone has devised anything that works better than this? Y/O has a bale tidy which she uses for the bale she keeps in the stable block for her and the ful liveries but having see it I'm not sure how well it would cope outdoors exposed to the elements!

Any suggestions welcome as pony will be coming in for the winter soon and I'm trying to get everything organised!

Thanks in advance!

 

[PennyJ]

Are you able to make up a weeks worth of haynets at a time, which might help a little? Otherwise what about trying one of those builders "big bags" to put over the bale instead of the tarp, which can be a bit unwieldy, and more to flap loose. And elastic bungy cords to keep it all fastened in, you know, the sort with clips at each end

 

[Dancing Queen]

put a pallet on top of the tarp to stop it blowing open.

 

[Jnhuk]

It is a nightmare and TBH I think with the time, effort, wastage and mess, it is sometimes easier to try and put up some structure for storage. Alternative is to use small sealed haylage bags which are expensive.

The compromise I have made is to get lots of haynets and I try to make up as many haynets as I can. Ideally for a week when getting hay from big round bale so I'm not fighting with it every day (also can pick when to make up the nets to weekend daylight and hopefully can pick the time for better weather) then store the nets somewhere dry. However, I appreciate that may be difficult on a livery yard if you have no appropriate spare space or storage - unless you could keep them in your trailer?

Tyres and bungee ropes essential for ensuring tarps stay down

 

[Jingleballs]

Thanks for the suggestions - I do try and make a load of nets up at the weekends and chuck them in the trailer which helps but not always possible.

 

[Toffee44]

Large bale on pallets.

Tarp on top. In once eye corner of the tarp I have a old leg strap which I then tie a piece of bale twine round the whole bale end it with a bungee andto keep it tight. I just make a loop in the twine going round and hook the bungee around the twine.

Always done it like this in an open field alongside a fence. Last year I was able to tuck bale in corner hedgerow, I got away with just pallet on top and four wooden fence posts in each corner. Just make sure you keep the bottom well off the ground.

When its windy I get a pallet on top as well.

 

[Jingleballs]

Hmm bungee cords are a good idea - I have one but it's not long enough.

Think I'll start with a pallet and a tarp - it's not blue tarp it's a slightly thicker one that doesn't flap about as much.

I'll try wrapping that round the bale and then wrap the bungee cord around it and chuck a tyre on top when it's windy as we've got hundreds of tyres at the yard that we use for jumping.

 

[meesha]

each year I have large bale round haylage (doesnt blow away as much as hay) - i take all plastic off then put 2 lengths of twine round (one higher one lower) then when I want to use some I undo twine so one layer falls off so I can make lots of nets up. these nets I put round base of bale then cover with tarp (costco have some good stuff) and put one string/bungee round. This isnt a problem but it is kept at side of fence and shed so protected on 2 sides.

Dont think there is any easy solution - although last year I used a patio table/chair outdoor cover and that worked really well ! best thing is a sheltered location.