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We use this hoop building for large squares. What do you use?

Richard, that is pretty fancy!


How many ton can you fit under that thing?


Every ounce of hay we put up lives outside. I guess that's one nice thing about living in a glorified desert.....

Sam, Jake says about 275. The big squares don't like rain. We have many round bales outside. The rounds would be higher quality feed stored under roof as well.

That hoop is 36'x 80', bigger would be good.

Richard, that is a chunk of hay for sure.

You must use a spear to stack them up that close to the roof?

I'd be worried about hitting something!


Yeah, that is one nice thing about rounds, they shed water much better that squares.

Hell in one stack yard/field we have plenty of room and don't even bother stacking the bales. Leave them all on the ground rowed out off the truck. Saves all kinds of time, they shed water better than in a pyramid stack and I don't have to use a tractor to unstack them. Just grab 'em with a pickup and go.

Sam, that Cat IT 28 you have seen pictures of is the stack machine. Jake does most, if not all the stacking, and moving the bales when we need to.

Around here, for fifty years, the story is, a hay shed pays for it's self the first rain.

That hoop was a "Hurry up, and Let's go", after the old 20x 80 went down under the snow load nine years ago.
A plane Jane pole building would be a better buy. That tarp might not last forever?

Outside for us.

Kicker bales go in the mow of the old milking barn and some in the arena.

Round bales stored in-line covering or outside near horse pasture.

I like that tow headed boy Ben.
What would you say the round bales under roof compare to outside stored?

Yo Sam....I am thinking it rains once in a while in Iowa, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

We usual only store 2nd cutting or hay we plan on selling in the barn. We get doc'd for brown bottoms, weathered looking bales, etc. Most of the hay we feed is kept outside, and there isn't much of a difference if it's a year or so old anyway.

Around here you can't stack hay with out a cover. Anywhere water collects it will rot pretty bad.

Kicker bales are used in horse box stalls and when I trailer horses on overnight or more rides. Plus, it is a cash crop selling to horse people.

Over the weekend, we got an inch of rain and a foot of snow. The frost is gone, and we re supposed to get the same weather tonight. Pretty much a muddy mess.

Good night!

That does sound like a mess.

Just for the Montana cousins.

Jim, it must!



Ben, no mud here, just a little snow...


The fancy Montana haystacks.....








Richard, Tanya was a fox back in the day!

Sam, if we stacked them like that, they would rot.

Richard, given your rain forest climate I don't doubt it.

Some guys around here will stack the round bales so the the flat side of the bottom bale is on the ground and then they will set a bale on top with the round side resting on the flat side.

If that makes sense. Mushroom stacking...

That way the top bale will shed the rain and the bottom bale can't get iced down to the ground or to each other.



Last year we had trouble with net wrap tearing due to ice. Not a big deal with alfalfa but it becomes a real mess when you're dealing with straw or hay barley bales.


I also wonder if the type of baler and or density setting makes a difference on moisture absorption? These newer round balers make a tight bale....

I store round bales outside. We rolled some wheat last year, made good hay, but too much waste by not covering it. I won't make that mistake this year. Wheat makes excellent hay if cut at the right time, but it rots badly, so it either needs storing inside, wrapped, or covered if left outside.

Ben, and Roundoak showed round bales covered in plastic, we have not done that, it looks like it should work.

This picture came out goofy, it is a Haybuster 2655. The net wrap builds up over time.

This is a hot cutting tool Jake bought a while back.

The hay in the plastic is baleage. We make it when we don't think we'll get enough moisture out to make dry hay.

Father in law in New Zealand only does Baleage.

Nice ghillie suit Richard!

We just have an old pole barn to store the hay in, squares on the side rounds in the middle. That barn really needs some work though it’s starting to get a pretty good lean.

Great song - I've got the album.

Richard, how often do you have to clean the wrap off of the 'rotor'?

We've been removing the wrap before chopping hay bales but we have to leave twine on the old straw that were are chopping.

I've found a good utility knife works well. Takes 3-4 blades and about 10-15 minutes. Only have had to clean it 3 times so far this feeding season. Removing the wrap really cuts down on build up.

Nice....two door mounted stripper plates.

I need that for my processor.


I like to use an electric hot knife to cut mine off.

Jake does the work around here. He has some phobia bout the 'fire, he thinks it's a waste of my time.

Grandson Gilbert, on the other hand enjoys posting.

Those of us at the lower and upper ends of the age continuum are able to make a glorious waste of time due to the work done by those that are between us on the scale. This is as it should be.