Wrapping hay

[Morgans23]

Got round bale hay that's been on the field for a couple of months and can't get it in the sheds anywhere, would it be OK to wrap now or would it go horrible and mouldy?
Thanks

 

[michael N123]

Better leaving it as it is put it in rows end to end and feed it out first and it’ll be fine

 

[Dry Rot]

Wrapping damp hay will surely lead to mould.

I usually put mine on pallets and tie a strip of builder's damp proof membrane (DPM) along the top half. With a little technique, you can use a long thin rope to hold the plastic and tie it to the pallets each side without cutting. Hay is so cheap this year, I have all mine on pallets but have not bothered to cover it. It will do more harm to have it on the ground than uncovered. Some say bales should not be touching, others say push them tightly up together. Your choice.

 

[Agrivator]

Better leaving it as it is put it in rows end to end and feed it out first and it’ll be fine

I would do that, but certainly wrap a proportion just as an experiment.

 

[michael N123]

I would do that, but certainly wrap a proportion just as an experiment.

It’ll be a failed experiment and a waste of time and plastic tho

 

[bobk]

If you get a couple of nice days burn it

 

[M-J-G]

You'd have been better wrapping it a couple of months ago, but that's not much use to you now.

How long will it take you to feed it? If you'll have it used by Christmas I'd just leave it out and feed it first.

 

[michael N123]

If you get a couple of nice days burn it

Why waste it it’ll be fine to feed

 

[Dry Rot]

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/agr/agr171/agr171.pdf

 

[Forever Fendt]

Better leaving it as it is put it in rows end to end and feed it out first and it’ll be fine

Doing the same here do you push them up tight end to end or leave a gap

 

[michael N123]

Doing the same here do you push them up tight end to end or leave a gap

I don’t think it matters but always thought there better not touching atall as there’s no where to trap water

 

[Forever Fendt]

I don’t think it matters but always thought there better not touching atall as there’s no where to trap water

Thanks that’s what I have done but wondered if I could save a bit of space but it makes sense to leave gaps

 

[Hfd Cattle]

If you get a couple of nice days burn it

Not sure why.

 

[4course]

I would do that, but certainly wrap a proportion just as an experiment.

we are thinking to do this as we are, if the weather holds, going to bale some grass into hay fri/sat put in in the sheep shed on shaken out straw (which will be the first bedding) for a while until we need the shed then if not used by then wrap and store outside ,did it with straw last year and had no waste, bit of a faff but wont be wrapped until less work on i.e sown up and the plastic cost more than pays for the possible waste esp as could well be carried over next year

 

[landslave the 2nd]

we are thinking to do this as we are, if the weather holds, going to bale some grass into hay fri/sat put in in the sheep shed on shaken out straw (which will be the first bedding) for a while until we need the shed then if not used by then wrap and store outside ,did it with straw last year and had no waste, bit of a faff but wont be wrapped until less work on i.e sown up and the plastic cost more than pays for the possible waste esp as could well be carried over next year

What number of bale... can you put pallets down for air flow or two bits of 4 x4 instead of straw.

 

[Agrivator]

we are thinking to do this as we are, if the weather holds, going to bale some grass into hay fri/sat put in in the sheep shed on shaken out straw (which will be the first bedding) for a while until we need the shed then if not used by then wrap and store outside ,did it with straw last year and had no waste, bit of a faff but wont be wrapped until less work on i.e sown up and the plastic cost more than pays for the possible waste esp as could well be carried over next year

I don't think there is any evidence or reliable hearsay that wrapping hay at any stage will have a deleterious effect. I recall years ago a neighbour telling me that my silage was far too dry to wrap and that it wouldn't work. I also recall stopping him on the road later that year as I took one of the bales (minus the wrap) out to feed some cows. It was absolutely immaculate, even if I say so myself.

 

[4course]

problem is
I don't think there is any evidence or reliable hearsay that wrapping hay at any stage will have a deleterious effect. I recall years ago a neighbour telling me that my silage was far too dry to wrap and that it wouldn't work. I also recall stopping him on the road later that year as I took one of the bales (minus the wrap) out to feed some cows. It was absolutely immaculate, even if I say so myself.

only snag I can see if if any fermentation takes place if wrapped immediately is the horsey customers may whine on thinking it smells like haylage