I store my small bales of hay inside my polebarn, out of the elements. But when it rains, my hay feels full of moisture, but it's not wet. What can I do to keep it dry and moisture free?
2007-01-04 10:06:23 · 6 answers · asked by horsegal08 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Put a tarp over top of it
2007-01-04 10:44:23 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your hay may be just absorbing humidity from the air if you are certain that the rain isn't blowing in or coming through a leak. Most any thing dry will rehydrate in damp air. If you are not detecting any heat building up from fermentation or finding any mold, it may not be problem worth worrying about, but horses are really susceptable to problems from moldy hay while it's not so bad with cattle or goats.
You might see if a local extension agent or farm store can have a check run on a sample just to see if stays safe. Make sure if you use tarps or plastic, that is very loosely anchored and that you pull it off in dry weather. I've seen some serious loss caused when moisture gets trapped underneath. If you buy your hay locally, you might think about getting less at a time so you can use it up before mold can set in. If you raise your own or have to buy for the whole season, it may be worthwhile to figure out ways to improve your storage area. Hay can be a huge investment.
2007-01-04 18:28:54 · answer #2 · answered by character 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We cover ours with a tarp. It may not keep ALL moisture out, but it doesn't let the water penetrate as deeply into the hay as it would if the bales were just laying out in the open.
2007-01-04 18:10:40 · answer #3 · answered by Willow 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We had this problem with the hay picking up mositure from the air and also the ground. Even with a concrete floor in the barn. (Concrete will absorb water just like dirt, just not as much) We started putting our hay on wooden pallets to keep it off the ground and it helped quite a bit. And a loose tarp during the rainy season will also help. Good luck and I hope this helps.
2007-01-04 22:36:04 · answer #4 · answered by Paint Pony 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We put our hay on wooden pallets (so they are off the ground) and cover them with a tarp. They are bound to soak up some of the humidity, but a tarp will solve most of that problem.
We have the opposite with the tarps- our hay dries out too fast.
2007-01-05 00:47:36 · answer #5 · answered by D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is it wet inside the bale? Do you see any mold? Try covering it with a tarp or cloth, but if it is only damp on the outside and not inside, I'd not worry about it.
2007-01-04 18:13:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋