Hay problem!

[mamahen]

Well, not so much a problem. I'm being GIVEN 30 bales of hay. This years cut, good quality hay, for my goats. It's heaven sent! I've desperatly needed it, but I have no place to store it! I have enough room for maybe 8-10 bales. But 30!!

Ok, quick, give me ideas on where to keep the other 20 bales! Remember this is western PA, with snow, rain & wind for the next 4 months or so. What can I do? If I can store it somewhere, this is enough for all winter! Yippee, I think

My "barn" is 2 buildings attached. One is 5x8 & the other is 8x10. The little building has my new mom & kid, the other has a doe, wether & 5 hens. The other goats are still to rough with the new kid, so I have to seperate them.

Ideas anyone?

Tricia

[Jen H]

Stack a couple of pallets on top of each other to get the hay way up off the ground. Stack the hay on the pallets. Then cover the entire hay stack with tarps. I'd use bungee cords to secure the tarps for easy access and so there's some give when the wind blows. If you can stack the hay along the side of a building, you can use the tarps as kind of a lean-to. Just make sure the bales themselves aren't touching the walls, you need as much air circulation as possible to keep everything dry.

[SHELBY]

You're probably too far away for me to help you out any. We've got a 20 x 40 hay loft that is empty this year..

[moonspinner]

I have kept hay outside under a tarp just as Jen suggested. Just make sure it is held down well with gusty winter winds. Is there any room in your garage for hay? I've done that too.

[TwoAcresAndAGoat]

just a note about the tarps. If you have extra pallets put one on top of the hay bales to keep the tarp from resting directly on the hay as it will mold if a wet tarp is kept in contact with the hay for a long period of time.

[Misty]

if you have wind, it will tear up the tarps after a few months anyhow.

[mammawof3]

Originally Posted by buckshotboers

if you have wind, it will tear up the tarps after a few months anyhow.

If you use the really heavy duty "farm" tarps, and use binder twine in lots of the eyelets,tied onto concrete blocks,it works wonderfully-even through wind and snow.

[Jillis]

Sounds like it would be complicated to get the hay when you needed it...can you throw up a loft in one of your goat sheds? Or perhaps you have a neighbor who would be willing to let you stack some hay in a corner of their barn or garage? If not, then tarps and pallets might be your only alternative.
Nice score, btw!

[Ark]

Do you have a porch on your house?
Or a garage?
Or a carport?
We keep our hay under our carport, right up against the house where it wont get wet. It is in between our 2 vehicles, and the only problem is that we only have space for about 20 - 25 bales.

[trappmountain]

My neighbor keeps a few bales under his deck and covers with tarps. I also don't have space for much. But luckily my FIL stores it for me in the upstairs of his barn. I bring home 6 bales and he keeps the rest for me until I need it.

[ozark_jewels]

Sounds like a "hay blessing"! Someone already mentioned something similiar I think, but here is how I have done it. Take a few pallets, stack them two high in a place that water doesn't sit after a rain. Stack your hay on them, cover it with a good farm tarp(those canvas tarps are expensive but they LAST, unlike those plastic tarps.), ant tie it down tight with twine or some good wire ties. Oh, and it would be a good idea to lay a pallet or two across the top of the hay under the tarp to keep the wet tarp from laying on the hay. Hope this helps,