Hay Storage buildings

[rediranch]

I did a quick search for this topic and didn't find anything, so hope I'm not posting the same question that's been asked before.

I want to build a hay storage building to store (now) small bales, but to allow for 3x3x8 bales as well. I am not interested in storing the large round bales.

Currently we store 350 bales each year in our barn, but that pretty much kills the barn usage. The bales are stored on pallets on the ground, and are almost as green when we reach the end of the stack, as they were when we put them there in the first place. I want to duplicate that.

We are green (no pun intended) so need as much detail as you can provide. I'm not a carpenter, but my dad is very knowledgeable and I have access to people who do remodels/home building for a living.

Do any of you have separate hay storage buildings, and besides an open shed design, can you post or send pics and ideas?

Of course, when I get to storing 3x3x8 bales that means I'll have some kind of tractor/skid and will be using that to stack and retrieve the hay.

In my area (Black Forest, CO) I have no permits needed for an agricultural building, which this falls under.

Thanks for your time!

[Chixarecute]

We have a 30x40 "hay" barn, pole building, metal roof and sides. I believe the sidewalls are 12' high, roof is probably 6/12 pitch (snow here...sometimes.)

Each 30' end has a 12' sliding door for hay wagon access (hay wagons are 9x18 kicker racks), and there is a service door at one end of a 40' wall. Concrete floor.

What hay we don't sell right away gets stacked on the side without sliding doors. Guessing it could hold 800 bales or so on that side (the service door is on that side.) If we had to stack in the drive through area, we could.

When not full of hay, we store the haybine, rake, lawnmower, & motorcycles in it.

Best feature? the 2' fiberglass panels at the top of the long walls, just under the eaves. Lets in light, enough to see by, enough not to trip over a hitch. No power in the barn, but we can run a heavy cord from nearby.

Most important thing to remember - never ever every stack hay directly against the walls or supports of the building. As you stack up, the bales below compress outward.

[Ramblin Wreck]

I have a 30'x50' pole barn with metal on the roof and sides, but open on the front and back. The utility poles are spaced 10 feet apart, so it took 12 (six on each side). After sawing the poles off level with each other (and plumbing them as well as you can when working with round objects), I ran 2"x10"' beams on either side of the tops. These beams support engineered roof trusses I bought off Craig's list (4/12 pitch). The trusses are fastened together with 2"x4" lathing spaced two feet apart. The metal is attached to the lathing with capped screws, but I only fastened it on every other lathe (every four feet). The metal sides are affixed to 2"x4" runners that are attached to the poles. Theoretically, it should hold 180 4'x5' bales...but in real life with dead space, it's less than that.

After building the structure above, I shedded off two 20'x50' wings on either side. One side is for hay and the other is for storing hay equipment.

Best wishes finding a barn that works for you.

[Plowpoint]

One Word: Farmtec; they have any haybarn you could ever want, cheap, delivered and effective.

[flewism]

How much hay do you want to store 350 bales or more?? A 20' by 20' by 10' we store 350 small bales. Adding a lean-to or addition to the existing barn maybe. 30' by 40' by 12' pole barn can be done for 5 grand yourself.

[Wldlife23]

Any pics of ur barns

[rambler]

Farmtek is good, the fabric round buildings. Cheap, fairly durable, and what you will need for the big bales - TALL.

You will end up building a building for your few small square bales, and you will find you _never_ will get a tractor to manuver around inside it to handle the big squares.....

Make it TALL. The cheapest way you can add more storage - TALL.

--->Paul

[Alice In TX/MO]

Hay Storage Buildings, grain Storage Buildings, Free Standing Buildings, Manure Storage Buildings, Compost Buildings - FarmTek