# How to store round bales for winter



## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

Round bales IMO are fine left outside.

The outside 3 or so inches will make a mat and the rest of the hay will be protected.


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Our round bales are left outside too.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

With only 2 horses, if you have a reliable hay supplier, I would only get one round bale at a time loaded in a pickup truck and not store hay at all (I would store some square bales for emergencies so you don't run out of hay).


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I buy my rounds by the trailer load, so usually get 14 or so at a time. I have an area that's got electric fence around it that I put some pallets in and I put the rounds on them. Then we tarp them well to protect them from rain or snow from above. To move them, we drive a pole (like a long piece of rebar) through them and hook chains on the ends of the pole and pull them with our tractor. They roll around the rebar and will just roll to where ever we want them. Once we get them where we want them we can adjust by giving a shove or 2 to finally position them, and then roll the round bale feeder over and flip it over them. 

I also feed small squares and buy about 500 small squares to feed 10 horses for 1 year. They are only fed the squares when I have to stall them for inclement weather or if one is ill or injured and has to be in the barn. Horses eat roughly 10-20 lbs of hay/day so it depends on your bale weight how many you will need.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

musicalmarie1 said:


> I only have two horses, so one round bale can last a while for us.


LOL, with my two "piggies" they usually go through one round bale every two weeks.



musicalmarie1 said:


> If anyone has any other suggestions on how to keep hay or what would be our best option I'm open. Would square bales be better? And how much should they get a day if we do square? As with most horse owners I'm trying to find the most economical solution.


Rounds bales can just stay outside. They often times are left in the field for weeks (or months) before being hauled in so they've already been exposed to the elements. 

Square bales do need to be kept inside (and taken off the field immediately after being made, and put into storage) because they will get moldy when rained on.

Comparing the two, you will have more waste with a round bale. The outer layer is going to be waste, b/c that is what has been exposed to the elements. And unless you have a net of some sort on the round bale, most of it is going to end upon the ground and turned into "bedding" by your horses. I can't quite remember the stat, but I think it somewhere around 30% of a round bale usually goes to waste. 

As far as how much to feed, my 2 horses would usually eat 1 square bale a day in the winter. How much you feed (round or square) depends on how much the bale weighs and if your horse is an easy or hard keeper. 

Red is currently on hay while recovering from an injury and he's easily maintaining a good weight on about 1/2 square bale a day. He's an easy keeper. 

You can always weight the hay to give yourself a starting point, but just remember calories in = calories out.  If your horse is too fat, back off!


Not really a "better" way, round vs. square. Just have to decide which works better for you.


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

I personally like any bale that has been kept inside. We have used some small squares, some rounds, and a lot of the 3x3 and 3x4 big square bales.

you can leave a round bale out in the weather, but I personally don't see the need to pay for waste.

I would probably find some wood pallets then store the hay on the pallets and covered by a tarp somewhere close to the horses so you can just peel back the tarp get the hay you need for the day then cover the hay back again. The pallets would keep it out of the mud and the tarp would keep it dry


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## musicalmarie1 (Dec 8, 2010)

Thanks guys! My old hay supplier would deliver one bale at a time for me because he was usually going to be passing my way anyway so he'd just load it up. But he doesn't have hay anymore and the guy I'm talking to now will only deliver in bulk.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Hmm, you're going to leave an expensive vehicle outside so you can put 6 big rounds in the garage. You're a true horse lover. No matter where you store the hay, keep it on it's round so it sheds the weather. You may lose a few top inches but it needs the breezes to help keep it drying. Don't tarp it down. Hay is like a sponge when it comes to soaking up humidity but it's the breezes that help keep it under control. Set down a plastic tarp first, even on cement then two rows of pallets. Keep them wall away from the walls so you can easily walk around. This is for air movement. Two rows of pallets underneath also allows air movement. One row isn't enough. Been there done that, made those mistakes. A friend stored 300 squares in an old highway refrigeration trailer, closed up tight. She was feeding hay from her shed so didn't check the hay in the trailer. After a month she finally ran out and when she opened the trailer door there was so much humidity it was dripping from the ceiling. 300 bales completely ruined. You can pull big round bales if you have a quad or truck. Run a steel rod thro the middle, tie a rope on each end and pull. Don't attach to the hitch but as wide as possible. I've also bumped them with the front of the truck to get them rolling.


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## Horseychick87 (Feb 5, 2014)

You can go the 'expensive' route and buy these: FarmTek - Hydroponic Fodder Systems, Farming & Growing Supplies, Hoop Barns, Poultry & Livestock Equipment, High Tunnels, Greenhouses & More

And then place them on pallets wherever you need them, instead of tarps which can blow away in a good storm. (I'm in a tropical storm/ hurricane area so I've seen hay tarps go blowing by.) 

Or you could rent or buy a shipping container and put some bales in there closer to the pasture, but you'd need a way to get them in and out of the container.


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## secuono (Jul 6, 2011)

Put pallets around the shed, stack bales, use a high quality tarp to screw to the high sides of the shed, down over the bales and tied to the pallets.

I don't understand how anyone can lay a tarp on bales and not get mold or how you can be fine with mold spores seeping down into bales when left in the rain. It does not just stay in the top layer and it's a gamble if the bale is even made tight enough to be ok in the rain.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mred (Jan 7, 2015)

I have been feeding round bales for years. Inside is always better, if you can. Never leave square bales out as they will go fast.
When I have to store outside, I place the rolls end to end as tight as possible. this stops the ends from getting wet. You can place on pallets, But it can a pain moving them. If you cover, you can not use plastic, as anything that keeps water out will most likely keep it in. Leave 4 to 5 feet between the rolls. This allows air around the hay and drainage for the rain. Expect to lose at least 25 percent. You will lose another 10 to 15 percent, when you feed. This is a big lost, but will the lower cost of round bales and not having to hay twice a day, I find it better. 

I spend as much as $2500 a year on hay. A building was a good investment for me.


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## gunslinger (Sep 17, 2011)

I feed between 15 and 20 5x5 round rolls a year and have for the last 5 years. I buy them once a year and store them outside on pallets.

I've covered them with tarps and left them uncovered. No matter which way I do it I loose a good 3 to 6 inches of hay. Frankly, the tarps a a pain in the rear....so the last couple of years I've left them uncovered.

I'm a small guy and only have a small 40 horse tractor without a front end loader so even if I had a building I still couldn't stack them one on top of the other......asI move them with a spear on my three point hitch.....

A 5x5 roll is about all my Massy 135 can haul.....


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## tim62988 (Aug 30, 2012)

I believe tractor supply has some nature of a round bale cart. not sure how big of bales it can handle or how it works but the local one had one sitting out front a while back


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