Hay Storage Basics

Hay storage basics!

Storing your horse’s hay for max freshness is art and science. If you have the basics of hay storage down, you can keep your investment free of problems.

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A hay shelter should have the following basic elements:

Ventilation.
Cover from precipitation, and ideally the sun.
A solid, non-moist floor.

Good surfaces to use under your hay

Let your hay rest on a thick layer of gravel, pallets, or even tires.
A concrete or dirt floor will allow moisture to seep into the bottom layer of hay and cause spoilage. If you have a concrete or dirt floor, please add pallets, gravel, or tires to stack the hay on. This prevents moisture from the earth or concrete from seeping in, and it increases the ventilation around the bottom of your haystack.

Pallets are easy to find – feed stores, home improvement stores, and supermarkets often have them.

When your hay resources become low, this is a great time to move your pallets or tires around and sweep out any bits of hay that have (or could) become mouse and rodent housing.

Ventilation is critical to keep temperatures as controlled as possible, either with open sides or exhaust fans.

Several types of exhaust fans don’t even require electricity.

Combustion can occur if the hay just right – sometimes too hot and too dry, or even or too hot and still moist inside!

Poor ventilation also decreases the quality of hay over time.

This hay loft is above the barn, so there is no need to store it on pallets or tires.

You should also be able to get valuable hay storage ideas from your local ag extension service, which will be geared towards your local climate.

What has worked well for your farm?

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