Temperature of haystack

[Little squeak]

As of title. I have never previously taken the temperature of the stack but this is a heap of 1500 small bales baled last Friday and unloaded Saturday. When I went up the stack on Sunday to shake loose straw on the top to stop any sweating out spoiling the top layer found very little sweating out but it did seem rather hot so dug down a 3 bales deep and put in a digital thermometer on a wire, this has given a reading of 34 Celsius for the last few days. Has anyone else ever taken the temperature of the stack and if so what is it normally?

 

[Exfarmer]

I would not beworried at 34 degrees, have several time found stacks you could not put your hand in
when we made serious quantities of hay, up to mid 70’s we would try and leave a chimney in the middle to pull out the heat. Several times seen steam coming out!

 

[DrWazzock]

Often seem steam coming out like a geezer and carried on walking. 34 deg is nothing. Sometimes it comes out brown and smelling like good tobacco in winter and the cattle love it.

 

[farmerm]

Now I begin to understand how people manage to bale 2 days quicker than I do Though I have some round this year I had to have baled earlier than I would have liked I have them spread around the empty grain store conditioning. They started sweating and heating within minutes when I started stacking them and I decided better of it!. Hopefully will be safe to stack before combine arrives...

 

[DeeGee]

My father often said that if hay doesn’t heat then it probably isn’t good hay. I used to get a bit twitchy occasionally when the hay seemed hot but we never had any problems, and I don’t think it ever got anywhere near to self combustion.

 

[jpd]

Often seem steam coming out like a geezer and carried on walking. 34 deg is nothing. Sometimes it comes out brown and smelling like good tobacco in winter and the cattle love it.

and of no feed value

 

[Derrick Hughes]

As of title. I have never previously taken the temperature of the stack but this is a heap of 1500 small bales baled last Friday and unloaded Saturday. When I went up the stack on Sunday to shake loose straw on the top to stop any sweating out spoiling the top layer found very little sweating out but it did seem rather hot so dug down a 3 bales deep and put in a digital thermometer on a wire, this has given a reading of 34 Celsius for the last few days. Has anyone else ever taken the temperature of the stack and if so what is it normally?

Is it Rye hay . Don't move it whatever you do

 

[neilo]

As of title. I have never previously taken the temperature of the stack but this is a heap of 1500 small bales baled last Friday and unloaded Saturday. When I went up the stack on Sunday to shake loose straw on the top to stop any sweating out spoiling the top layer found very little sweating out but it did seem rather hot so dug down a 3 bales deep and put in a digital thermometer on a wire, this has given a reading of 34 Celsius for the last few days. Has anyone else ever taken the temperature of the stack and if so what is it normally?

I was a bit concerned about the temperature of some round bale hay a few years back, so rang the fire station (pretty well at the end of the drive) as I knew they had a probe. It must have been a quiet afternoon as appliances came out from 2 local stations, just to check it. I think they found a few bales at up to 48 degrees C, and advised me to take it out of the shed but 'it would probably have been alright'. As they had officially given me that advice, my insurance would have been null and void if I didn't, so out it went, laid around the field next door. They all stayed to watch me, just in case of spontaneous combustion, then came back to check it again 2 days later.

None of it was a problem, or got any hotter, but I had a load of extra work and the lads from the fire brigade had a nice draw out of it. I've since bought my own probe, so I'll probably never need it again.

Fire services guidelines here: https://www.southwales-fire.gov.uk/newsroom/news/recommended-hay-storage/#:~:text=When the internal temperature of,the temperature goes high enough.

34 degrees isn't anything to worry about in itself though.

 

[Barleymow]

Put at layer of barley straw on the top

 

[Little squeak]

thanks for the info and link neilo. I'm not sure what temp my hay normally gets to as I don't usually go digging into the top of the stack. It does look like 34 Celsius is well within what is exceptable though.

 

[bobk]

Put at layer of barley straw on the top

Yes , it will help ignition ...

 

[Derrick Hughes]

thanks for the info and link neilo. I'm not sure what temp my hay normally gets to as I don't usually go digging into the top of the stack. It does look like 34 Celsius is well within what is exceptable though.

If its reit then no heat at all , not being rude but you half baked your cakes,

 

[DrWazzock]

We always put a good sprinkling of salt on each layer as we build the stack. 25 kg salt to 400 small bales. Maybe helps suppress the heat production. Put it in the porridge as well.

 

[startinghandle]

I remember my late father saying it is
around 35 days from stacking until it goes up in flames, as long you did not
bale it too fresh you will be ok
I am not sure if putting straw on top as it will prevent the hay breathing

 

[Exfarmer]

I remember my late father saying it is
around 35 days from stacking until it goes up in flames, as long you did not
bale it too fresh you will be ok
I am not sure if putting straw on top as it will prevent the hay breathing

Straw on top will prevent condensation and moulding

 

[startinghandle]

Straw on top will prevent condensation and moulding

OK

 

[TripleSix]

When I baled our hay this year we did it a day earlier than I wanted because there was rain coming.

I was amazed nothing heated, it's made some real lovely hay.

 

[Goweresque]

If its first cut grass you should be fine, there will be very little sugar in grass mowed in the last week of July. Without the sugar to feed the bacteria and moulds you can never get the runaway temperature required to make it catch fire. Thats why straw baled damp never bursts into flames, no sugars. If its second cut hay then you might have more issues.

According to this info from the US, 34C is fine, its once it gets beyond 45C and rising that you need to be worried

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[Stewie]

If its first cut grass you should be fine, there will be very little sugar in grass mowed in the last week of July. Without the sugar to feed the bacteria and moulds you can never get the runaway temperature required to make it catch fire. Thats why straw baled damp never bursts into flames, no sugars. If its second cut hay then you might have more issues.

Yes, it depends a lot on the grass. This year first cut was very early and the grass really rich: I lost count of the barn fires...one or two every day within 15 miles

 

[neilo]

If its first cut grass you should be fine, there will be very little sugar in grass mowed in the last week of July. Without the sugar to feed the bacteria and moulds you can never get the runaway temperature required to make it catch fire. Thats why straw baled damp never bursts into flames, no sugars. If its second cut hay then you might have more issues.

According to this info from the US, 34C is fine, its once it gets beyond 45C and rising that you need to be worried

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If it’s first cut and only made at the end of July, would it be better to stack it in the field and hope it catches fire? Feed value would surely be akin to straw?