Methods to Tarp Hay for Winter Storage – The Horse

Hay has develop into a scorching commodity. It’s difficult to find good hay, and it’s costly once you discover it. While you do find a very good supply, it’s essential to get your hay provide in and guarded so it stays in good situation and lasts by way of the winter. Relying on the place you reside in North America, subsequent 12 months’s hay crop won’t be out there till June by way of October. Plus, it may be troublesome, costly, and really hectic sourcing hay within the spring in the event you run low – talking from expertise!

As a horse enterprise proprietor who must buy round 40 tons of hay every year to get my crew of horses by way of the winter, I’ve seen all types of how to stack it – with blended outcomes. In lots of circumstances I can inform the hay in some stacks is not of the caliber I’d need to feed to my horses.

This previous fall was the primary 12 months we needed to stack/tarp hay outdoors of our hay barn. We needed to scramble to determine how to do that accurately so the 20 tons we had been stacking open air wasn’t misplaced to rain and mould throughout the winter.

Making ready Your Stack

“Hay is a serious funding,” mentioned Sandy Younger, proprietor of Treasure Valley Hay, in Nampa, Idaho. Younger has been a hay dealer since 2008, focusing totally on southwestern Idaho, however with clients in all Western states. “You’re investing in high-quality meals to maintain your animals wholesome and provide you with peace of thoughts figuring out you’ve got what it is advisable to carry you thru the winter till subsequent summer time.”

Defending your funding with a heavy-duty, high-quality tarp is important. “If you happen to don’t not less than cowl the highest of the stack with a very good tarp, moisture from rain and snow will seep into the stack from the highest all the way down to the underside and will break all of the hay,” she mentioned.

The place you find your stack is essential. As with different buildings in your horse property, place your haystack in a excessive, well-drained space. Make it straightforward to entry for the preliminary supply folks, in addition to environment friendly for you as you utilize the hay.

You’ll want to put the stack on a barrier or construction to guard the underside bales. Hay positioned straight on the bottom will wick up moisture, in the end molding and rotting on the underside. “Begin with wooden or plastic pallets, or a thick, dense layer of flakes of straw,” mentioned Younger. “If you happen to do have to put your stack straight on the bottom, you should definitely place the lower fringe of the bale down, strings to the facet, so broken hay can be simpler to choose off.”

“We attempt to stack hay so the uncovered sides of the stack are (uniformly) straight, up and down, with no ledges,” mentioned Younger. “We additionally attempt to overlap the underside bales on the pallets, so the hay bales simply hold over the sting (of the pallet) a bit of bit. That manner rain and snow gained’t choose the (pallet) boards and wick moisture again underneath the bale, inflicting superficial injury.”

You may make your hay-stack as tall as you need. If you’re hand-stacking, it’ll most likely be 4 to eight layers excessive. In case your hay is delivered by tools, reminiscent of a haystack retriever, it is going to be in a prestacked quantity, normally 9 layers excessive, and it gained’t should be readjusted. The load will fluctuate however is normally 3 to five tons.

Selecting The Proper Tarp

“Prep the highest of your stack with a single row of bales laid finish to finish, throughout the center of the highest,” mentioned Younger. “This may kind a peak (as soon as the tarp is positioned throughout it) so the pile sheds water like a roof and also you gained’t get puddles which ultimately leak.” Tarps usually are not 100% waterproof. “Don’t set something on high to carry the tarp down,” she added. “It creates a melancholy that causes water to puddle, which is prone to trigger leaking.”

The way in which you unfold and safe the tarp is essential to the lasting high quality of the hay. “I’ve seen all types of how to do that,” mentioned Younger. Her strategies embody utilizing lengthy nail spikes and pushing them by way of the tarp grommets into the hay, type of like “nailing” the tarp into the hay. You may also screw canine tie-out stakes into the hay and fasten them to the tarp. Rubber bungees, ropes, and bailing twine may also be used to safe the tarp. Younger mentioned she prefers to create bailing twine loops with lengthy tails that she secures to the pallets previous to constructing the stack. These can merely be used to cinch the tarp down as soon as every part is in place. “Wind is the most important enemy of your tarp,” she famous. “Tie your tarp comfortable, and don’t let it flap within the wind.”

“You may get a tarp sufficiently big to cowl the stack fully, all the best way to the bottom,” she added. “Or get one which’s simply sufficiently big to go over the (high) edges and down the perimeters not less than a few ft. If the ends of the bales (on the perimeters of the stack) usually are not lined, they’ll get weathered, which is okay, except there’s a hay ledge that snow or rain settles on and soaks into.”

Weathered hay that’s merely discolored is ok to feed horses. Moist and moldy will not be. “Get a very good heavy-weight tarp with numerous grommets. Don’t get a light-weight, low cost tarp, you’ll remorse it,” mentioned Younger.

“A very good, heavy tarp ought to final three to 5 years,” mentioned Brad Jensen, a supplier in Western Ag hay tarps, the flagship blue and white tarps utilized by business hay growers and dairy homeowners. “Use a good-quality tarp, create a peak (on the high of your stack), maintain the tarp tight, and maintain it so it extends the lifetime of the tarp.”

Western Ag tarps have boards and a rope sewn into them. “The rope is hooked up to the board, so that you aren’t simply pulling on a grommet that may rip out,” mentioned Jensen.

The largest motive tarps put on out is that they aren’t tied correctly, and when they’re flailing round within the wind they break down. “Tie the tarp down and maintain it tight,” mentioned Jensen. “This helps them last more. If you wish to reuse the tarp for subsequent 12 months, clear it up and fold it up properly. We normally hold them on a wall the place the mice gained’t nest and make holes in them.”

In case your stack is 2 pallets large, the tarp ought to be a minimal of 12 ft large. “That’ll provide you with a 1-2 foot overhang of the tarp on the stack’s sides,” mentioned Younger. “If the tarp is just too large, it is going to be heavy and ponderous, and troublesome to handle.” Younger advised working with a number of smaller tarps which can be not less than 24 ft lengthy and overlapping them. That is particularly helpful when you begin to take hay from the stack.

“If you happen to use a number of tarps, overlap them by not less than a 4-foot minimal, with the opening dealing with away from the prevailing winds and downhill,” she mentioned. This may hopefully forestall water and snow from working its manner underneath the tarp and ruining the hay.

“Examine the ties usually, and maintain them taut,” she added. To increase the tarp’s life span, Younger advised inserting an outdated tarp, sheets, towels, or horse blankets as padding beneath it (alongside edges or on corners of the stack). This reduces the friction created by the wind rubbing the tarp in opposition to the hay.

Like many different issues on a horse property, stacking and tarping hay for winter storage is usually a chore. “Take a deep breath and chill out,” mentioned Younger. “At the least you realize you’ve received loads of good hay.” And know that winter doesn’t final eternally.