If it isn’t, it will most certainly mold and dust and may spontaneously combust. Moisture Content MattersĪll hay should be baled at less than 14% moisture content. Check the load before it is unloaded if it has been brought in by someone else. Hay stored on trailers can pick up road spray even if it is not actually rained upon from above. If you store it without it being properly dry, it will mold and dust and again, can provide a fire hazard. Hay that even received a spritz of rain once baled, will not be truly dry. If you pick up your hay in an open vehicle or trailer, or if it is delivered this way, ensure that it has not been showered or rained on. Never store the conveyor with the motor in direct contact with hay and keep the motor free of hay detritus. When you have finished with the conveyor be aware the motor may be hot. NEVER allow anyone to walk up or down the conveyor to the loft. If possible assign someone in proximity of the plug, the task of watching all folks around the conveyor in case someone falls on it or slips, so it can be quickly shut off. Always have the plug close at hand so that it can be quickly disconnected in case of emergency and never move the conveyor when it is switched on. Conveyors are typically quite heavy, and should be secured at the top end if placed up to the loft, to ensure when they are overloaded with an enthusiastic helper placing hay at a fast rate onto the unit, the machine does not slip backward into their space or fall down. If storing your hay in a 2 nd floor loft, a conveyor can make hay transport much easier. When you are finished loading in hay for the day, don’t leave this door open without a barrier of some sort. Ask our team members for ideas on how to maximize the use of this valuable space while still keeping everyone and everything safe. When you are designing your barn and including loft space above the stalls, access is always an important consideration. You don’t want it to break free and fall on those working below. If the access door is not a sliding design, be certain it is properly secured when open, as wind can cause mayhem with blowing the door back and forth when you are trying to bring hay in. Bringing in the hay supply is often a family affair, so always protect everyone but especially children, by providing some sort of barrier to the exit. Safety is a huge concern when you have loft space for storage above the barn. As an experienced barn building company, the Horizon Structures team can advise you not just on how to design good ventilation, add cupolas that only look pretty but serve a sincere purpose, but also can provide suggestions on barn location and placement for optimum air flow. If you are building a new barn, always consider the airflow for both your horses and your hay storage needs. In some barns an electric extractor fan is installed in the cupola space to aid in the movement of air through the building. Traditionally, cupolas also served the purpose of providing a method to dissipate hot air and encourage air to be drawn up through the building. A ridge vent can also provide a great relief for hot air to escape. Many modern barns, offer airflow through meshed or perforated soffits. Don’t stack to the roof and block that airflow channel if you can avoid it. In the loft space the gable ends should have grills to allow hot air to escape during summer months. Hopefully your barn has been designed with good ventilation. Hay that becomes wet can also catch fire when the temperatures soar and heat builds in the space. The farmer went to a lot of trouble to bale up clean, dry hay (I hope), so you don’t want to stack it and get it wet. A slow drip onto a stack of hay can cause mold and will cause hay wastage. If you stack fresh hay on top of a damp base, the resulting temperature build up could cause a fire.Ĭheck your roof and fix any holes that need repair now. This will remove not just dust or mold, it will ensure the space is clean and dry too. While it may be tempting to just pile new hay on old, and leave the spiders and cobwebs, dust and hay chaff, vermin droppings on the floor, it is much better to have a sweep up and clean your storage space. Whichever way your hay arrives neatly stacked in your barn or storage building, it is smart to know a few basics of haymaking and hay storage safety, so that you can be confident you are not playing with fire. Maybe you have a dealer or farmer that delivers and stacks your hay supply for you, or perhaps you do all the hard work yourself. Hay season is here and it’s time to stack up some fresh cut horse hay in your barn for your hay feeders.
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