# Does a hay loft in Florida work?



## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

There is a recent thread about hay lofts - with Florida's high humidity, I would vote no on a loft.

A separate, ground level portion to the barn could be an option, or an additional off-building just for hay storage. I would preferably want a separate building to lessen any chances of fire in the main barn. Store a weeks worth of hay in the main barn at a time, and leave the rest in the off-building.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Keeping hay in the same barn as horses (or other animals) just isn't a good idea. Hay can always have the potential to be a fire hazard. If moisture gets into it it can spontaneously combust. That is the number one reason for hay fires in buildings. And then there is electrical fires and hay being in there would just be more fuel for a rip roaring fire. Plus, you have to have the machinery to get it up there or the muscle. I personally don't see a reason to have a hay loft.

Honestly, I don't see a reason to even have a barn that is completely closed in FL except for aesthetic purposes.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I agree, having hay above the animals is not a great idea in my eyes mainly for the effort it takes to get it both up and down. 

A barn fire is not fun, yes the hay will burn but it is rather like burning paper, get a stack of it and it burns fairly slowly on the inside.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Something to read.

https://www.aimscentral.com/keeping-hay-fires-from-spontaneous-combustion/


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

I also live in Florida, central part of the state.
I vote _*NO*_ to a hayloft.


Heat and humidity do rise and settle...so does dust, cobwebs, birds and their poop.....
For all of those reasons previously mentioned and more..._no to the loft._
Get your hay, keep it in a separate building for safety reasons.
We live in a lightening strike rich state...the higher the building the more chance of a strike...um no -thank-you to that increased risk.
Hay, no matter what state is comes from is very combustible if not baled at perfect conditions, which down here are seldom for more that a few days and hours in the day..
Outside of those golden hours you invite the ticking time bomb...
:runninghorse2:....


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I have a hayloft and am quite happy with it. But I'd be the first to vote no on this one. Florida is so hot and humid, you'd need a sturdy ventilation system that could keep the temperature and humidity in check. I live in Canada so we don't have much heat, and my barn is open 24/7 so the air circulates and the horses are never locked in (they have access to their stalls from the paddock but the doors are never shut). 

If I were in Florida, I'd look at other options for hay storage.


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## RegalCharm (Jul 24, 2008)

Also check the insurance rates for hay stored in the main barn and hay stored in a separate hay shed not attached to the main barn.


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## 281187 (Sep 19, 2019)

Heat and humidity make Florida hell on earth, no need to risk spontaneous combustion and add fire in to complete the analogy. 

So I also vote for no hay loft. Perhaps check into buying a used storage container? That's what my old barn used for storing hay.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

SocialGadfly said:


> Heat and humidity make Florida hell on earth, no need to risk spontaneous combustion and add fire in to complete the analogy.
> 
> So I also vote for no hay loft. Perhaps check into buying a used storage container? That's what my old barn used for storing hay.


I farm that I once boarded at had a semi container. They installed an A/C or dehumidifier or something like that and it worked pretty nicely to keep moisture out of the hay.


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## Jim Petrilli (Apr 20, 2020)

Shipping container no good either, tried that and now have about 50-70 bad Bales that got moldy. No more shipping containers for me.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Yes, you have to keep the air circulating in there and make sure there are no leaks.


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