# Hay storage problem! Suggestions please!



## Phantom Legacy (Nov 27, 2009)

We used to have an old, and I do mean old, barn on our property. It has unfortunately collapsed and is no longer usable in any respect. That now leaves me with a major problem. I have two horses to feed and nowhere to store my hay. I've just been stacking them on pallets and covering with a tarp, but I know that is just a temporary fix, as I've already had to throw some hay out due to dampness/mold issues.

Due to a slew of other things happening all at once, of course, I simply can not afford to build a shed. I need one that is big enough to store two round bales at a time if necessary, or at least a 100 squares at a time. I was looking into those portable automotive shelters and wondered what you guys might think. I know they sell ones made for horses/hay, but they are a LOT more expensive, though I can't really say why.

Kmart.com

This is the one I'm looking at.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

We got basically the same one except ours was silver. I don't know how easily it would be to store round bales in but it did work for square bales. Round bales are round pretty tight, at least around here, and can be out in the elements better than square bales. 

Depending on what size your square bales are, it should work for them. The ones we got were 50 lb bales. If I remember correctly, we could get around 200 in there with a little room to spare. Each row had 2 layers of 7 across, 2 more layers at 6 across and one more of 5. I think we could get 6 rows like that in there. 

Some things about those shelters. If you get heavy snow, you have to keep the top cleared. They aren't song enough to support the snow. Also, do not try to get the skin/outside of it tight. That causes the poles to wear through and rip it. 

After we bought ours and were putting it up, I noticed on the box that it said "Not designed for wind or snow." We were amazed because being sold here in ND and we get a lot of both!
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## Phantom Legacy (Nov 27, 2009)

Thank you. It's nice to know of someone else who is successfully using one of these. There are some that are designed to shed water and snow. The round ones, I think, but once again they are significantly more expensive. I'm in PA, and we get a fair amount of snow, but nothing like what you experience, I'm sure.

The only squares I can find around here are about 30-40lbs, and with this shed being a 10 x 20 I figure I could fit a respectable amount in there.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

We don't use it anymore as a hay shed. It is just used for storage now. That was when we only had 6 horses. Since we've added 10 more to the herd, feeding square bales isn't feasible. Also, our supplier of squares ran out and we switched to the round bales. Those are more cost effective and less time consuming.
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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

At my old place I only had a 3 sided shed for the horses so the garage became my hay, feed & tack storage. Car stayed outside.


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## deserthorsewoman (Sep 13, 2011)

You can still use pallets and tarp, but double pallets below, maybe a tarp under them, then stack your hay, lay 4x4's on top of the stack, then put the tarp on. That way the air can circulate a little better and you avoid the mold. Lifting the tarp on the sides when the weather is good gets some air on it, too. Then, once you have time, build a frame and a roof and close the sides with tarp.


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