Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
bales, thirty-six 55-pound bales, or forty-four 45-pound bales. A ton of hay requires ap-
proximately 200 cubic feet of storage space, but fluffy, lighter grass bales will require more
space per ton than tight, heavy alfalfa bricks. Two hundred cubic feet of storage space
would be a space approximately 10 feet by 10 feet and 2 feet high, or 5 feet by 5 feet and 8
feet high, or 6 feet by 6 feet and 6 feet high.
Storage space
The hay barn or open shed should be located on a well-drained site. Because of the labor
involved and the cost of hay, you simply cannot afford to have moisture get into your hay
barn. For added insurance, stack your hay on pallets inside the building. You may have
to incorporate ditches, berms, or retaining walls to prevent water from collecting around
or moving through your hay barn or shed. In addition, the roof must be leak-free, and the
building must have adequate ventilation. Build the hay barn large enough so you have room
to park your tractor inside too.
Newly baled hay should be allowed to cure outdoors in a stack for a week or two before
loading into the barn. (See
chapter 13
, Land, for more on hay curing.) If you walk into a
hay barn and detect a damp or fruity aroma or a moldy or caramel smell, the barn probably
contains spoiled or heating hay. Grain and bedding should also be well cured and dry to
prevent spoilage or heating. In addition to keeping all grain in rodent-proof containers, you
can employ a feline rodent patrol to help reduce the mouse population around the barn.
