I am still finalizing the 3 bin manure location/size and the hay barn/storage as well. My first choice is two separate areas. But I got to thinking: Could I? combine the two into one …? Basically, ‘ground floor’ will be a walk up/open to dump into the three manure bins that will have access on the back side due to the gradual grade that drops off…this area will be a cement pad and have gravel road bed for access/loading the compost. I do plan to have some sort of ‘lid’ to use on these bins (or at least a tarp) to keep fly/etc down. My question is really: would anyone advise me AGAINST having a second story ‘above’ this for hay storage? As in: can you see any reason the composting in bins under that would be bad for the hay above it? Keep in mind, the hay will be quite a bit higher/above this and the back end of the bins ‘open’ not sealed inside the ‘building’ … This may be a better compromise in cost for me right now than the two separate ones, but not if (!) its a bad idea for the hay!
My manure pile gets really hot. I’ve never had it catch on fire, not sure it could get that hot, but it can definitely get smoking sometimes. Not sure if that is a fire hazard.
I guess I can’t get my head around why you would waste indoor space with manure, though. If you really want to compost it you should allow it to get wet; not sure if your area gets enough (or too much?) rain to properly compost though.
I have a similar concept, but in an outdoor bunker that is built into the hill next to my barn. Wheelbarrows dump from the top, tractor accesses manure from the bottom to flip and move to secondary location.
I’ll try to find some photos/links of what I was intending as the manure area. Most all I’ve viewed do have a roof/but open sides…I was wondering if since the ones I’m considering do show it that way, if a second floor was an idea … I’d like the ‘back end’ of the ‘roof’ to extend a bit for parking underneath/coverage for the small tractor/newer spreader, etc at the back /access area of the bins.
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My manure pile gets really hot. I’ve never had it catch on fire, not sure it could get that hot, but it can definitely get smoking sometimes. Not sure if that is a fire hazard. [/QUOTE]
Agree. My manure piles also get so hot that the core burns. I’ll find a great deal of ash when I flip them, and mine are not that big.
In addition, especially in the winter months, you can see the steam rising off of them. I would imagine that warm moisture may enhance molding of the hay if it were sitting above it.
Also agree. I live in the deep south where there is really no lack of rain/moisture and my piles still require a good hosing to keep them moist. They’d get way too dry if they were protected from the rain.
I always learned that hay and manure don’t mix due to combustion/fire risk?
Your insurance co. will have a fit if you park your tractor in/under your hay barn. For some reason parked machinery is one of the causes of fire in barns. Also, I agree as to how hot a manure gets and that it needs to be away from your hay.
There’s no way I would put manure bins in my barn because of the heat issue and because compost needs moisture to do its thing. I do keep my spreader inside and just spread directly on whatever field is not in rotation.
FWIW, I park my tractor on a concrete pad in a bay to the side of my aisle hay loft. So it’s 36’ wide – 12’ stalls on one side, 10’ aisle with hay loft over it (concrete floor), 14’ tractor bay on other side (concrete floor) with garage door bays to the outside. I like the setup and my insurance is reasonable. I don’t keep hay over the tractor (it is open air over the tractor) and I don’t keep horses in the barn much except to feed, so it doesn’t worry me.
Thanks everyone!
Basically, this is not the barn. It would be a manure management spot, with extended roof but open sides on back (as in another ‘bay’) for any parking of lawn tractor/spreader…nothing ‘side enclosed’ at that area. It was the concern of the heat of the composting bins a floor beneath that I wondered about. (even though they’d have open sides and lids.) If I was brilliant I could attach a draft/drawing/examples to show, but…alas…I’m such a dinosaur.
I would strongly advise AGAINST keeping hay in the same building as your manure pits. Heat and spontaneous combustion are a big consideration with the manure. Ammonia and rising moisture is bad for the building floor supports under the hay, and bad for the hay itself. Probably going to get a lot of mold in that hay, so wasted money for you throwing it away.
How about just a tall metal roof, open sides, on posts above the manure bunkers? You could drive tractors in to turn piles, add more manure, have a ramp on the back of pit to push loads up, tip wheel barrows into pit. Not expensive to just have a roof and framework to hold roof up, give you room to drive under it.
Store the hay in another building, in a location AWAY from the manure pits. The dust and chaff generated with hay, hay moving, is a huge fire hazard. Don’t need the loss of your hay with possible manure pile fire. I know several manure piles that just “caught fire” out in the OPEN!! Heat generated by a working, composting pile is HOT to be breaking the parts down, can easily cause fires to start on the outside of the pile. Those piles can then burn for DAYS, consuming every flammable item. This is why cement base and sides is suggested where manure storage is in volumes. Cement would help contain the fire, should one happen in the pile.
I am into spreading our manure almost daily, do NOT put it in piles because of the fire danger, and fly breeding ground it makes. I have a very low fly population with good manure management.
The reason gas powered machines are not stored in dusty, hay locations is the chance of fire from hot exhaust pipes, setting fire to the barn. Few farmer folks keep the dirt off the floors, chaff cleaned up to remove the fire danger. And it is not only tractors, but the 4-wheelers, scooters, golf carts, gators, that get hot pipes to set fires over sawdust or chaff on the floors. Only needs one burning piece of hay to get things going. Those pipes stay hot for quite a while after using the machines. Little draft thru the barn moving dusty chaff, sawdust, could start a fire easily.
Thanks you guys. While it would have been nice to have one structure to pay for vs. two, Per everyone’s advice against it, I’m going back to the plan of two separate areas. 
