Better than pallets for hay storage

[Madhouse]

I’ve waited a year to make this post. I wanted to verify my hypothesis before touting it’s success.

I am using rubber roofing material (The stuff used on flat roofs - Typically a 45 - 60mil EPDM rubber sheet) between the ground and the hay. It has worked perfectly - absolutely no mold issues.

The benefits:

• It is easy to walk on
• once it is in place, you never have to move it
• It sweeps off very easily
• It doesn’t allow for a rodent super-highway through the openings like pallets do
• You can drive your tractor/ATV on it

I’ve had hay stored on 45yo concrete mold on me from ground moisture wicking through the concrete, so I switched to setting the hay on pallets. Then I read about using asphalt for flooring in a hay-shed because it is impermeable for moisture. I put two and two together and came up with six - I need to block the moisture from the ground; but plastic tarps will get punctured by the rocks underneath - what about rubber?

Googling the material - it sells for a little more than a $1.00 per square foot. So I contacted a roofing company. They sold me a pallet (about 1000 square ft) of used stuff for $50! It has a couple holes in it, so I laid another layer over those spots. It has worked GREAT!

[BoyleHeightsKid]

Thanks for the tip as I am contemplating hay storage ideas right now oh… and my husband is a roofer among other general contracty things.

[TMares]

I needed to know this! THANKS

[vxf111]

Would love to see photos of what this looks like down. Is it really different than rubber stall matting? I store hay in a spare stall (with rubber mats). I still had one or two bales get mold in the very far back corner, the first ones in and the last ones used. This year I did pallets around the perimeter of the stall

[Fred]

This is interesting, thank you. My hay barn has a dirt floor, so we have always used pallets, and that has worked fine. If I am using a stall for storage too, I have always put down pallets to be safe.
I too would love to see pics, or if possible a link?
thanks again.

[trubandloki]

What is the climate where you are?

I ask because I have had the same problem as @vxf111 .

Heck, a few times of year we have funky weather changes where the rubber mats on the concrete floor actually sweat.

[Guilherme]

Excellent suggestion. And another request for photos!!!

G.

[Madhouse]

I will try to remember to take photos tonight - keep in mind most is covered with hay.

I live in Minnesota - our stall mats and concrete sweat on humid days, I haven’t noticed sweat on the rubber membrane. Ours is on a gravel base and that shed has a 14’ wide sliding door with 4" of clearance to the ground so there is very good ventilation in the shed.

I’m assuming the reason stall mats don’t work as well is there is a seam every 4-6 feet. I have the membrane overlapping by a foot or so.

This is what Google came up with for me: http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=21448&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjtLZBRDLARIsAKT6fXxWr0_ZMAYThZSY1r3mKDHO5F1nQyfqNHhyT0EtWAt98AEC6rZ9-6kaAj5xEALw_wcB

[ryansgirl]

Very interesting - thank you for posting this!

I moved barns and now have an issue with moldy hay. Never did before as I had a full hay loft but now I have an enclosed shed with dirt floors. First year used just wood pallets - lost all the hay on the bottom (30+ bales). Last year I used wood pallets and three layers of plastic (placed under and on top of the pallets) - same result - all moldy on the bottom row. I know its not my hay supplier because I’ve used him for 16+ years and i’ve never had a single bad bale. I was looking into plastic pallets or really anything that will work. Problem is I board so I can’t do anyrhing permanent or costly.

Lots to think about!

[OTTBs]

Once you have a moldy bottom row, just leave it there to protect the good hay on top of it. Assuming it’s not moldy to the top of the bales. I did this in my spare garage that I store hay in; why ruin a second layer of hay? I believe I have part of it with pallet/plastic/pallet also and don’t think I lost any hay stacked on that. The rubber idea sounds interesting if I ever get rid of the moldy bottom layer.

[paintedpony]

Thank you, I will be investigating this for our barn. Not for hay (that goes upstairs) but for shavings. I purchase shavings in lots of several hundred paper wrapped bales as the price is very attractive. Up until now, have stored them in an unused area of the first floor of our barn. (Close to stalls, but unused as the cement needs to be replaced, not a priority as we already have more space than is needed) We have piled on pallets, but clumsy here trips far too often!!

[2DogsFarm]

Interesting…

Because when I built my barn the guys working on it offered me some discarded roofing membrane just as you describe.
At first I used it as stall mats - over tamped screenings - & it actually lasted several years before my (plastic) muckfork poked enough holes for it to be useless there.
I still have 2 large pieces in my aisle - also tamped screenings - & those are showing no wear at all despite horses walking on them.
They provide a nice, sweepable, dry place for shoer or vet to work, although in humid weather they do sweat a bit.

My hay is stored on wood pallets without the membrane underneath & somehow, in 14yrs , I have yet to lose a bale to mold. I am in the Midwest too & get much the same weather as MN.
Maybe the cement makes the difference, not the membrane.
The pallets provide enough ventilation even when they are packed with hay fines - maybe that even helps?
I usually pick them up & sweep out the accumulated mess once a year. Have not gotten to that yet this year.

[S1969]

@OTTBs

Once you have a moldy bottom row, just leave it there to protect the good hay on top of it. Assuming it’s not moldy to the top of the bales. I did this in my spare garage that I store hay in; why ruin a second layer of hay? I believe I have part of it with pallet/plastic/pallet also and don’t think I lost any hay stacked on that. The rubber idea sounds interesting if I ever get rid of the moldy bottom layer.

I have done this in the past; but eventually you do end up with a mess on the bottom that has to be removed. Mine were on wood pallets over plastic over gravel. And I will say that removing the bottom layer of moldy hay bales on a hot day was one of the worst jobs I ever did…especially the hay that falls through into the pallets.

After that, though, the boys that were helping me with this crappy job suggested putting plywood over the pallets. We took everything out and let it air out for a few days, leveled the gravel and replaced the pallets, and then installed a plywood “floor” on top of them. It has been dry and easily swept for about 4 years now. And it’s still temporary - I could pull it out in only an hour or so if necessary. Wish I had thought of it sooner. You can’t drive on it but I wouldn’t need that anyway.

[trubandloki]

@S1969

After that, though, the boys that were helping me with this crappy job suggested putting plywood over the pallets. We took everything out and let it air out for a few days, leveled the gravel and replaced the pallets, and then installed a plywood “floor” on top of them. It has been dry and easily swept for about 4 years now. And it’s still temporary - I could pull it out in only an hour or so if necessary. Wish I had thought of it sooner. You can’t drive on it but I wouldn’t need that anyway.

That is what we ended up doing.
Best thing we ever did.

@2DogsFarm consider yourself lucky that your bottom layer never gets moldy. We tried everything before going to this elevated floor thing we do now.

[Madhouse]

I took special note of the ground/floor condition yesterday as it was 90+ degrees with 90+% humidity. It’s hard to see in the pictures, but the gravel was wet with condensation as well as the concrete and stall mats in the other section of the barn. The roofing material didn’t show any condensation. I’m not an expert on insulation/condensation - I have a week theory that they dusting of hay residue under the membrane may act as an insulation?? I just know that I have had great results. I use round bales as well, so the convenience of being able to drive on it is important to me.
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[McGurk]

Fabulous idea, thanks for posting. I would love to try this in out hay storage.

[ryansgirl]

@OTTBs

Once you have a moldy bottom row, just leave it there to protect the good hay on top of it. Assuming it’s not moldy to the top of the bales. I did this in my spare garage that I store hay in; why ruin a second layer of hay? I believe I have part of it with pallet/plastic/pallet also and don’t think I lost any hay stacked on that. The rubber idea sounds interesting if I ever get rid of the moldy bottom layer.

I have no desire to keep moldy hay in the barn. The smell is horrible and I have bad allergies and asthma. Keeping moldy hay doesn’t solve the problem and it also takes up needed space for this coming years hay supply. I buy my years supply during hay season when the prices are good and hay is plenty so i need the space.

[HungarianHippo]

I am totally enthralled with this idea. We have a cutting of hay about to come in and my pallets are all crapped out and broken ankle waiting to happen. The voids get completely full of hay chaff and whatnot, so the circulation benefit becomes nil before too long.
Totes going to see if I can find a local source! Thanks OP

[buck22]

@S1969

I have done this in the past; but eventually you do end up with a mess on the bottom that has to be removed. Mine were on wood pallets over plastic over gravel. And I will say that removing the bottom layer of moldy hay bales on a hot day was one of the worst jobs I ever did…especially the hay that falls through into the pallets.

Years ago, a barn-mate insisted I use her hay guy and I stupidly agreed to allow him to fill my barn as I was leaving for vacation. He had the same theory with mold and actually put down a layer of crappy, un-sellable hay as a bottom layer and then stacked good hay on top of it, without telling me.

I freaked out, called him, and he was oh so proud of himself for going the extra mile and “giving me” free barrier hay. I was a newbie to putting up hay and didn’t know how to respond.

This was my hay for the Winter/Spring, so that crap molded, got dusty, stunk and I had to sit and wring my hands over it until January. The stench permeated the entire stack. My asthma was through the roof, and I had piles of stinking moldy useless hay to clean up.

Never again!

The barrier is a neat idea! Not sure I could swing it on the ground with our temps and humidity, but interesting ideal for a layer over palettes. I would love to eliminate the chaff.

[mayfair]

@S1969

I have done this in the past; but eventually you do end up with a mess on the bottom that has to be removed. Mine were on wood pallets over plastic over gravel. And I will say that removing the bottom layer of moldy hay bales on a hot day was one of the worst jobs I ever did…especially the hay that falls through into the pallets.

This was my experience, too. Horrible job to remove it all.