# Keeping Round bales of hay dry?



## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

I've had a few ideas and things we've also tried, but wondered how everyone keeps their round bales of hay dry? Of course with my budget, I can't afford to do a whole lot.

My plan right now is to possibly get 3 round rolls of clover mix hay from a farmer down the road. I want to keep 1 for bedding, put 1 in the main pen, and 1 in the buck pen.
Hopefully the farmer still has the barn full of 1st cutting clover hay - and I may just buy winter hay from him since he told me if I don't have a place to store it, I can bring what I can, and then come back for more or pay as I need it, but of course I want to make sure I have it paid for so I know I have it...

So anyway...I just can't figure out how I can keep it dry. For rainy days I'd just fill inside hay feeders from square bales, but for good days I want them outside. I don't plan to do this until later on.
I'm going to put pallets around it so they have to reach between the wood spacings to eat or stand on their back legs to get it.


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## Maggie (Nov 5, 2010)

Could you just put a tarp over the tops and tack it down to the pallets to keep it secure?


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## jaycee (Aug 3, 2011)

This is probably not what you are looking for but for goats I would advise keeping the bale in the back of the barn if its possible and forking out small amounts to them daily. If You do it any other way they will pick through it and you will lose tremendous amounts to the weather... I use both square and round bales and keep them out of the pens when I feed the rounds I just cut the strings that go around then peel off chunks with a pitch fork enough to fill the square bale feeders.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

A tarp is what we use, well its not a tarp, there is a guy with big gree houses and every 3 years has to change out the clear plastic and we come over and get it. If there is a any one with green houses around you go talk to them, they usually just toss it and it last for way more then the 3 years that we go back and get more......just a idea to save you some money


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## HoosierShadow (Apr 20, 2010)

If I do this I may just use a tarp, but I'll definitely check with the green houses, thanks Jessica!

Our barn is small no way to store it, in fact we can only store about 40 square bales in it.
Last year we bought 3 or 4 round bales, but it wasn't very good hay -fescue. 
We left them outside under trees uncovered, and would roll one into the barn, rolling the outside/bad stuff off, then pull some extra off so it would fit through the doorway, stuff it in a corner and pile the rest on top.









My goal is to try and eventually make something to store hay in, but I still won't have enough of a place for round bales just squares. I really REALLY need that last stall, but right now we use it for hay.
If I stuff round bales in there like the picture from last winter above, I wouldn't be able to use the stall door on the last stall.

I have a few ideas I guess, so we'll see what happens  If I had something to store square bales in, then all I'd need is one round bale for bedding, and all i need for that is just a tarp...


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