# moldy hay- so frustrating



## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

end of 2020 we had a pole barn put up(30x30). there are three sections, one for the horse, second for goats and hay and third for tractor. my hay is molding and it hasnt even been very long....
we have gutters on the building. moisture barrier on the roof, plywood the walls. 

its from the outside of the bales. i bought 100 bales this summer to get me thru as hay prices are going up. but i am wasting alot of it due to mold. smoky dusty horrible mold. the hay is in the middle of the pole barn,horse on the left, with plywood, panel divider and she also has a run in area so its open. the tractor side has a garage door which i leave open during the day. on pallets. so far the bottom bales havent been moldy or the bales that were in the inside so it must be from the air? i dont tarp it and its a good foot from the walls.hay is not cheap.
what do i do? i am down to 4 bales and plan to get some this weekend if it doesnt rain. how do i clean the ground of the mold? its gravel, i wash the pallets. 

i also have a buck shed, so excited to get it built so i can have hay by them and dont have to haul it in my car twice a day. well its worse, black mold not usable at all. wood shed with a metal roof with plastic for a barrier. i put the hay on pallets too and the floor in linoleum. there is open space on the top area for flow but had to block the window due to rain hitting it. there is no gutter but the building is a good two feet off the ground. i only had 10-15 bales at a time in there. luckily the hay guy will take it for his cows and give me 1/2 the price back per bale. but it shouldnt be molding this bad. its not like hay has been siting for months and months. and its not warm out so its not getting super hot in the building.
i dont have power to any buildings but someone suggested a fan.? 
i live by the coast so its humid. any ideas on using salt? 
if i cant fix this then im going to have to cut my herd in half due to how hard it is to find hay in the next few months and price increases.


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## Jessica84 (Oct 27, 2011)

This is a 3 sided building basically? Just the door on the one side is open? If so if there is a way to open the opposite side up so air flow can go threw that might help. I live in a pretty dry climate and tarp my hay but have always been told when you can get the tarps off on clear days and let the air hit the bales and I don’t have issues with mold except for the bottom bales.
If that’s not the issue maybe someone else can chime in with a better idea


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

Do you store it cut side up so air can get through the bale? You may want to put another layer of pallets down.


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## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

It’s 3/4 closed in
i can not open the other long side, that is the weather side.


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## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

I will ask the hay guy to stack twine side in the side.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I'm not sure what you mean but cut side up is important. If they stack on the side but not cut side up then it doesn't help.


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## friesian49 (Jul 2, 2018)

Moldy hay is terrible. The fact you lost money and if you lose enough to mold, you could be hurting to find more, but then you have to put it out somewhere. Thankfully I've only had a couple bales in the last 2 years or so. Sometimes I don't see it fast enough and the dang girls get to it and eat it like it's fine dining! 

I do use the pallets as well, mine is in a shed that's all enclosed. I never heard of storing it a certain way - I've went with the way the farmers store it - which is where the twine is on the top/bottom. 

Maybe ask your local farmers of any tips? Or if you have an ag extension office? Best of luck!


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## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

thanks, i would have just the same luck storing it outside under a tarp.... the barn smells of mold. not sure how to get rid of it. not like i can take the gravel out. i plan to stock up on alfalfa pellets and put them in the garage, i figure i can at least have 5 bags and use them before they get moldy as a supplement. i am only getting 20 bales this time so hopefully use them before they start moldinga nd just hope the area doesnt run out of hay before haying season.


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## Elbee (12 mo ago)

daisymay said:


> i plan to stock up on alfalfa pellets and put them in the garage, i figure i can at least have 5 bags and use them before they get moldy


Ugh! Moldy hay is depressing. I hope you garden and can use it for compost. Just wanted to say beware of rodents with feed in the garage. We've had problems with mice nesting in car engines. They find anything remotely edible.
What about spraying with white vinegar when it's empty and could dry back out? We get some mold in a dirt/rock cellar and that works.
Good luck.


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## daisymay (Feb 13, 2017)

Thanks doing that tomorrow, I know we have a mice, rat problem, finally out poision under the house since they were in the walls. Only have one barn owls so no way he can make a dent in the population, sometimes get them in traps, going to try the bucket trap.


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