Hay hut - yay or nay

[FatCatFarm]

We’ve also had two hay huts for years now and love them. Only one has cracked and that’s totally on us for using it on uneven ground in a pasture with some slope. Even cracked it’s still just fine and I will use it until it simply must be replaced. Yes, they are expensive but the waste elimination is incomparable.

I do use a plastic postal pallet to set the bales on and to keep them out of the wet. I have used a hay net with mine, but found they only extended the bale by about 3 days and decided they were not worth the extra trouble required to utilize them. I think both the new Hay Huts and the Bale Barns come with the option of buying with netting as a part of the structure which is helpful.

I’ve heard the Bale Barns are light enough for use by one person which is attractive to me when I need replacements. My husband can flip a Hay Hut by himself, from upright to over on it’s side, but I can’t. I can flip one back from on it’s side to upright, but not the other way around.

They were worthy every penny to us and have held up very well considering how hot our summers are.

[4BranchFarm]

I use Bale Barns at my boarding barn (we have 7 in use currently) they are a single unit (no bolting together sides) with a net that falls over the hay. the horses love them! they are pretty easy for one reasonably fit human to flip and fill, and their customer service is TOP NOTCH- I had one get a small crack (less than two feet along the base) and they sent me a whole new one! the boarders love that the horses have true 24/7 access to forage, and I love that the horses cant waste my hay!

[anon81364900]

@FatCatFarm

I think both the new Hay Huts and the Bale Barns come with the option of buying with netting as a part of the structure which is helpful.

I’ve heard the Bale Barns are light enough for use by one person…

Attaching your own net to an existing HH or BB is a total cinch, there’s really no need to pay extra for that feature whether you have an old or new one. I just put 2 eyebolts through each of the 4 sides of the base–use nice big washers to distribute the pressure of the bolt. Clip, or zip tie if you prefer, the bottom edges of your net to the eyebolts. Then when you flip the BB over a new bale, the net just snugs around the bale without you having to do a thing.

Our BB straddles the gray area between a one- and two-person lift. As long as the base is completely free-- ie not buried in snow like right now-- I can lift/tip it on my own but I wouldn’t say it’s easy. But do-able, and Mr. HH can definitely do it on his own. But with two people it’s a total snap and it takes like 1 minute–so Mr HH never hesitates to come out and help, even if there’s a football game on or something. He knows it’s not some “Big Project” that he’s getting roped into.

That said, since I already have the tractor out to move the round bale, I just use the pallet forks on the FEL to flick the BB up/over the bale.

[Tarlo_Farm]

For those curious, wrapping my bale in a pig panel has worked perfectly. It took a little while to get it tight enough, but lacing up the open edges with a long piece of cord worked. Now it’s stretched in shape, a few double ended snaps will hold it together.
My only concern is my fat mare may be able to tip the whole thing over.

[Sing_Mia_Song]

I love my Hay Hut. It’s probably 12 years old now and no cracks. During deer season my hunter uses it as a blind, too.