whole bale storage??

[mercynursie]

Well I finally found a supply of timothy hay(rare here in south, fescue is common for us). I am just wondering what would be the best way to store it as I feed it? Currently I am looking at buying a horse bale hay bag that is nylon and holds a whole bale vs. a really big trash can and drilling some holes in it for ventilation. What do ya'll think would be better? I'd like to keep it on our garage, but I could take it up to my horse barn.:hmm:

 

[CalicoPrairie]

I buy compressed timothy bales for my rabbits and chins and keep it in an 18 gallon tub. It doesn't immediately all fit in there when it's new, but after a while it does. Before that, I just kept it in the shrink wrap plastic that it comes in with no issues at all. For a full bale, I would try to find something that would keep mice from nesting in it. This is why I use the 18 gallon tub. I'm thinking next time I'll be using two of them for good measure.

 

[Michellemazz]

You don't have to wrap hay.
Wrapping it may cause moisture to build up (which will make it mold.)

Just put it on a pallet so air can circulate underneath it.

Those hay bags are just to keep hay from going everywhere, especially if the bails are loaded in racks on top of the bigger horse trailers.

A bag doesn't make hay last any longer nor keep it any fresher.

Hay will brown over time, but it will still retain nutrients.

Some times golden hay is higher quality than green hay.

 

[CalicoPrairie]

I actually prefer not to keep it in a tub, but I'm concerned about mice peeing or pooping on it in our barn--not that I think we have a mice issue, I do it so I don't attract them to the hay. Is it worse to wrap it, or worse if mice get in it, Michellemazz? I'm concerned about it because it's for the rabbits and chinchillas, both of which have delicate systems.

I haven't had any issues keeping it in the tub, mold or otherwise. No moisture or mold thus far. I've experienced what mold is like in a bale, and it's icky enough to notice, but I have a sensitive 'smeller', ha ha.