How to prevent hay barn fire?

[J 1177]

Put them in singles in a shed or leave them out for a good fortnight, its surprising how even well made hay starts to really smell 7-10days after being stacked. Its not worth the barn fire. Alot of hay seems to have been baled a day early around here, the ground under the swathes is holding alot of moisture which is going to catch a few out. Forcast is good next week so i cannot understand the rush.

Aye iv rowed mine up first then moved the rows to dry the ground first. Im off this morning (after the dew lifts) to chuck it all out with the old hay bob. Its suprising how wet the ground is.

 

[robs1]

My father always said that more hay was spoilt in good weather than changeable, my blokes are champing at the bit to bale a heavy crop cut on Wednesday / Thursday, going to hide the PTO shaft off the baler!!

That is very true with ryegrass awards, we are baling pp 2 days,after cutting, turned twice a day bone dry, however second cut westerwold cut Wednesday is at least a day away, moisture in the nodes when you split them open, would fire up easily

 

[borderterribles]

My father always said that more hay was spoilt in good weather than changeable, my blokes are champing at the bit to bale a heavy crop cut on Wednesday / Thursday, going to hide the PTO shaft off the baler!!

That is very true with ryegrass awards, we are baling pp 2 days,after cutting, turned twice a day bone dry, however second cut westerwold cut Wednesday is at least a day away, moisture in the nodes when you split them open, would fire up easily

I too was brought up with the saying "there's more bad hay made in a good time, than in a bad one"

 

[Castle Farm]

Got mine yesterday evening 3 days after cut. Hay was cured right and should not heat up if baled when it's ready. Nice to have the weather for a change.

 

[7610 super q]

My father always said that more hay was spoilt in good weather than changeable, my blokes are champing at the bit to bale a heavy crop cut on Wednesday / Thursday, going to hide the PTO shaft off the baler!!

I remember talking to an old duffer who was a part timer in a local fire brigade in the 1960's. More barn fires in a good weather year. They reckoned folks took more care making it in iffy weather years.
I think folks get carried away with the idea that hay needs to look " green ".

 

[beardface]

Left to his own devices contractor has baled 60 round bales a day earlier than I would have liked. How long would they need to be left in the field to eliminate spontaneous combustion risk or how much a risk will there be if they are stacked 2 or 3 high under cover?

When did he bale them? I'd be telling him to come back and wrap them at his expense.

 

[neilo]

A week is no where near long enough

^this. I always understood that temperature peaks at about 3 weeks, which is when the greatest fire risk is, particularly if the stack is then disturbed, letting oxygen to the hot spot.

The barn fires being reported currently will be as a result of the hay made several weeks ago, when some on here were saying the ground was far too wet for hay making and others were busy at it.

 

[Jameshenry]

I cut last tues/ wed old pp ground but the grass was fresh looking, been turned everyday baler was booked for today but it's not fit to bale yet, especially for big squares

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

Get lots of shed /stack fires here most years. Mainly people that dont usual make hay. Or from people who shouldn't call themselves contractors.

Used to leave all my rolls out till I finished baling. That could be up to a month. Then when carting in I walked the trailer every load and shoved my hand in where the forks were. Any sus bales either went on top, on the outside or not in at all.

 

[Dry Rot]

Not relevant however would be interesting to have some hay wrapped with film not net like on these new balers with the ends open and just leave them out.

This can be done now but only a few have the machines necessary, according to one film manufacturer. It seems to me to be the way to go. Bales use up a lot of shed space that could be put to better uses. It would also be interesting to have comparison costs, i.e. the cost of wrapping vs. the cost of storing inside, but wrapping would win for me for sheer convenience.

 

[Dry Rot]

Weren't small bales usually stacked in stooks of 6 - 8 or so in the field? I certainly remember a lot of stooks when I was younger. Damp small bales dry out surprisingly well if kept off the ground and in a warm breeze.

 

[Muck Spreader]

Less of a risk if they have come out of a fixed chamber baler as soft core allows the hay to continue making. Conversely VC baler is better for silage and haylage. We usually leave them in the field for at least 2 weeks and shove a metal electric fencing stake in some if unsure, headland bales particularly.

 

[Tonym]

I too was brought up with the saying "there's more bad hay made in a good time, than in a bad one"

Your old man sounds just like mine used to. He also used to say you don't need expensive equipment to make good hay all you need is a mower, a baler, a Vicon acrobat and sunshine. All that expensive tackle spoils it more the more you use it if the sun don't shine.

 

[borderterribles]

Your old man sounds just like mine used to. He also used to say you don't need expensive equipment to make good hay all you need is a mower, a baler, a Vicon acrobat and sunshine. All that expensive tackle spoils it more the more you use it if the sun don't shine.

Sounds familiar, except it was all you really need is a scythe a fork and a wheelbarrow as long as you've got the big yellow thing in the sky!

 

[Lazy Sod]

Weren't small bales usually stacked in stooks of 6 - 8 or so in the field? I certainly remember a lot of stooks when I was younger. Damp small bales dry out surprisingly well if kept off the ground and in a warm breeze.

I've stooked plenty of small bales in my time, as did my father. I remember him telling me to always make sure the knots were at the bottom. to aid rain run off.

 

[Dry Rot]

I've stooked plenty of small bales in my time, as did my father. I remember him telling me to always make sure the knots were at the bottom. to aid rain run off.

Yes, they had to be stooked in a special way but now I cannot work out the logic! It was mostly how the layers were folded in the bale and the (alleged) moisture absorption from the ground.

 

[neilo]

I've stooked plenty of small bales in my time, as did my father. I remember him telling me to always make sure the knots were at the bottom. to aid rain run off.

Won’t the mice undo them if the knots are at the bottom? Or is that just if you stack them in a barn upside down?