Hey all,
Getting some hay today with my buddies, <50 bales luckily. We have all stacked hay before but I suspect there will be some diasgreements about the right way to do it. Plan is to put it down some hay pallets, start cut side down and then alternate layers of strings up and cut side up. What are your words to the wise before undertaking this endeavor?
Agree cut end down for the bottom layer, then alternate - not only strings but one layer widthwise, the next lengthwise: checkerboard pattern.
Make sure you stack tight enough so the bales “tie in” - meaning if you need to walk up the stack to get a bale down it is firm enough to stand on.
Learned this from my hayguy:
You press the bales against each other so the hay grabs onto itself, forming a joint. Try to leave yourself a “staircase” at one end too.
My annual supply is 200-300 small (45-55#) square bales & stacked this way I can walk up the “stairs” stacked 8-10’ high w/o worrying about falling off or punching a leg through loosely-stacked bales.
It is even better to stack each layer so half a bale is over another half.
That is, start the bottom cut side up, so the wires don’t rust out, then the next layers all wires flat.
That second and up layers, start with them full one direction, if you want checkerboard them, we don’t necessarily do, then next layer up start half a bale off the layer below.
This way the stack is said to be “tied up to itself” and very solid.
It is nice to try to keep the ends of the stack smooth and neat.
I just moved 50 bales to another barn, to make more room for this year’s hay and had nice bales, all same size, that made a pretty stack.
The new hay they brought is also very nice and even bales and the fellows stacking it made a neat stack.
Less than 50 isn’t going to take up much room, so it’s not going to be as huge of a deal as if you had more than 100. Yes, first layer cut side up/down, but you really don’t have to alternate it higher than that. Just always go opposite directions.
Like so:
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Gracias! I like the diagram a lot too
I guess I should have asked this question before stacking bales a couple weekends ago. Why cut side down on the first layer?
I hear its for better drainage, but I may be wrong
Depending on where you are stacking, and your local moisture issues, in addition to the pallets, you can protect the bottom layer with a layer of clean straw. It can also help to add in some rock salt over the straw.
How big a deal is this?
I have 130 bales stacked 7 high on two layers of pallets over the dirt barn floor. String side up on all layers.
If you tell me I need to restack to flip that first layer, I just might cry.
We’re supposed to get another hay cart this weekend, so will be stacking another ~130 bales…
(It’s funny how 130 bales just doesn’t sound like that many, but holy cow, that’s a lot of work.)
Simkie, if it’s stacked and it works for you, I see no problem.
When I stack into my little barn (which can only go four or five high), I stack string side up. This barn has a dug out floor that was filled with gravel, then pallets, then a couple years’ worth of old loose hay. I never lose bottom bales here.
Bottom layer can be a problem no matter what. The disadvantage for me of cut side down is that it means you have more bales on the bottom.
And Simkie, I don’t know what your bales weigh, but mine are 100 lbs. So 130 bales is 13,000 lbs or 6 1/2 tons. So yes, stacking by hand… it’s a lot of work!!
[QUOTE=Simkie;8333220]
How big a deal is this?
I have 130 bales stacked 7 high on two layers of pallets over the dirt barn floor. String side up on all layers.
If you tell me I need to restack to flip that first layer, I just might cry.
We’re supposed to get another hay cart this weekend, so will be stacking another ~130 bales…
(It’s funny how 130 bales just doesn’t sound like that many, but holy cow, that’s a lot of work.)[/QUOTE]
You don’t have to re-stack. You may find that the whole underside of those bales on the pallets closest to the ground will be bad. It depends on your humidity level, how damp the floor gets and the moisture in the bailed hay itself.
Of course how fast you use it makes a big difference too.
It seems that bales not stacked on a wooden floor ( or loft) just tends to draw so much moisture up from the ground. That is why we usually stack cut side down on the first row. Seems to have less waste that way.
We had no issue with large bales stacked string side down on a single pallet last year. This is the first time we’ve had small bales.
Why does stacking cut side down make a difference? I’d think that would wick more moisture into the bale…
If the bales are fully “cured” it doesn’t really matter if stack flat or on the side. I only stack on the side when they come right out of field. The theory is the cut side up will help wick/sweat the additional moisture while curing. Makes sense, would make for a good episode of Myth Busters. Might have to suggest it.
Just about any hay bought from a re-seller would have most likely been stored for awhile and fully “cured”. Certainly any bales bought after October.
Flat side down, strings up make for better and easier stacking. There will almost always be some funky bottom bales depending on how long they are stored, weather conditions and what they are stacked on. The storage building also
So I generally stake the first layer on their sides, less surface area to get “funky”.
Stacking on straw as others have suggested helps. There usually a lot of “crumbs” left from the previous stacks so I just use that.
This has worked well for me in SE PA putting up 8,000++ at times.
Thanks, gumtree–I appreciate your expertise. We may be stacking fresh off the field hay next weekend, and will keep your advice in mind!
[QUOTE=Simkie;8334489]
Thanks, gumtree–I appreciate your expertise. We may be stacking fresh off the field hay next weekend, and will keep your advice in mind![/QUOTE]
Check it every day too, stick your arm in as far as it will go to make sure they’re not hot.
[QUOTE=Mosey_2003;8335357]
Check it every day too, stick your arm in as far as it will go to make sure they’re not hot.[/QUOTE]
What do you do if they are? Unstack? Or something else?
If you are only stacking 70 bales - and don’t need to climb on the bales - is it better to stack tightly - or leave 3-4 inches between the bales for air circulation?
Thanks.
[QUOTE=poltroon;8335411]
What do you do if they are? Unstack? Or something else?[/QUOTE]
Last hot batch I had I did unstack, yes. I’m lucky enough to have the room to lay out less than 100 bales on their cut ends.
[QUOTE=poltroon;8335411]
What do you do if they are? Unstack? Or something else?[/QUOTE]
Prevention is your best approach. First - any bales which are markedly heavier than other bales should NOT go into the mow. Set them aside. When you are done, open all those heavy bales and spread them apart so they can get lots of air to finish curing.
Another thing to do is to spread feed grade loose salt on top of every layer of bales.
If you do get a hot spot, yes, you will need to unstack those bales, and either open them to air or open them and immediately discard them if they are so hot they can’t be touched with a bare hand. Obviously, if they’ve moulded, they will need to be disposed of no matter what their temperature.
Simkie, if you’ve got yours up on pallets anyway, you shouldn’t have a problem. I’ve never stacked hay cut side down for first level and never had trouble. (IA, MI, TX)
As for hot bales…this is a real thing. Which is why I really hate to have hay in the same barn as horses if it can be avoided.
If your hay supplier doesn’t use a moisture meter (and many smaller operations do not) and you’re getting hay straight from the field, then you do need to pay close attention. Any heavy bales should be set aside. Check regularly.
If you do get some hot bales, pull 'em. A reputable supplier will swap out for you.
A few years ago, I took delivery of about 100 bales of alfalfa for a friend. I had a bad feeling about them and told the hay guy so. Friend said to stack 'em (she was on vacay and I was farm sitting) So I did. 9 high in a stall away from the rest of our hay. We lost most of that load. They were steaming within a few days. Scary.
