Best method for storing hay?

[Pecosbill]

I’ve been putting up round bales of coastal for years in a covered shed. The bottom bales always have a significant amount of rot damage to them because of their contact with the ground. I’ve thought of using pallets, or even putting tarps on the ground under the bales, but I was wondering how others address this issue. Thanks.
Bill

 

[Garandpa]

We bought a bunch of plastic pallets that a soft drink manufacturer had disposed of and use them to keep hay up off the ground. the guy we buy hay from uses them too.

 

[Winknotes]

I stack my square bales on pallets which helps but until I put a layer of plastic on the ground to keep ground moisture down I have the same issue. I also like pallets because it provides a passage for air to flow under the bottom layer.

 

[FarmHand]

Plastic pallets are great, wood pallets will work too.

 

[Hobby Farmher]

For years I have put plastic on the ground in my small hay barn; then pallets; then the hay(rounds) on top of the pallets and still get the stinky bottom. This year I placed an additional layer of plastic on top of the pallets(as well as the one directly on the ground) and put the bales on this. So far, so good with the hay bought in September. I intend to try this with the hay I plan to purchase around June, probably about 6 rounds...we'll see!

 

[Ken Sweet]

I’ve been putting up round bales of coastal for years in a covered shed. The bottom bales always have a significant amount of rot damage to them because of their contact with the ground. I’ve thought of using pallets, or even putting tarps on the ground under the bales, but I was wondering how others address this issue. Thanks.
Bill

Plastic pallets will work or about 6 inches deep of #3 rock in the floor. Wood pallets tend to lead to flat tires somewhere down the road. Ken Sweet

 

[jcman]

We store our square bales on pallets but also have them in the barn on rubber mats with 6" of 5/8 minus compacted under the mats. No problem there. Did have one year where the stack against the outside wall molded due to lack of circulation. I ran a perforated pipe along the back wall and hooked it to a small electric leaf blower, stack out about 6" from the wall and the blower runs on a timer for about an hour each day. Seems to work.

 

[Snow Farmer]

We are fortunate to have a concrete floor in our hay barn, but in the absence of ventilation hay still wicks up moisture if it is set on the concrete.
. We started building our own pallets 60" x 60" from 2 x 6 planks on 4 x 4 timbers that way the bottom layer of 5' x 5' bales can stand on end, allows us to get more bales in the barn
Bonus is that air can circulate.
Hassle is the expense of buying lumber, building and repairing pallets, but I am very satisfied with this method.