[toasterburn]

I have one sheep and one donkey, and this will be my first winter with them. So far, they have been completely pasture fed.

How much hay do I need to store up to get them through the winter? And what's the best way to store hay? Is under a pole barn with a tarp over it enough, or do I need to get a shed just for hay?

 

[dlskidmore]

Are you making hay or buying it? If buying, does the seller keep it under cover? You might get a better deal buying all winter if you don't have good storage. But it sounds like you do have a roof, why the additional tarp? If you get hay right after it is harvested, you want to stack it in a way it can breathe and continue to lose some moisture. Just don't let it get rained on.

I suggest this other thread for checking amounts.

 

[toasterburn]

I'm buying. I don't really have a place to store it at the moment. I do have an overhang connected to my barn that would keep most of the rain off, but I'd have to fence it in to keep the animals out. Or I thought about buying a small storage shed.

 

[dlskidmore]

Talk to your hay man and see if you can buy in smaller quantities that you have room for. You might pay in advance if you want to ensure the price won't spike or him run out.

 

[bergere]

Some places I have lived in the past, didn't have the money for a hay shed. So we kept the hay in the garage.
No room for a car but made a great Barn.

 

[toasterburn]

Wish I had a garage. My hay guy sells out of hay before winter, and has a minimum 15 square bale order (unless you pick it up yourself).

I just put in an order for 15 bales, and am now wondering where it will all go.