How to properly store hay

Hay is harvested at different times, but it is best to do this during the period of greatest accumulation of nutrients in it (in the second half of summer).

How to store hay outside

For better storage of forage for the winter, hay is dried. This allows you to significantly reduce the amount of moisture in the stems and leaves of the grass. It is customary to store hay by putting it in stacks. But this affects the quality of the feed. That is, with this storage method, hay is affected by many factors differently. For example, the surface of a stack can accumulate rainwater. To ensure that the hay does not begin to rot and is not afraid of frost, it is correct to use various protective structures.

Before sweeping, you need to lay out dry poles or brushwood at the base of the stack. The green mass can be salted. This protects the forage from mold. It is convenient if you cover the tip of the haystack with a cellophane film or a layer of straw.

See video: Storing hay in a stack outside. Hay hook.

We collect a haystack.

Skirda. Construction theory

See video: Haymaking 2019//Our experience in storing hay in rolls outside.

Reliable hay storage

It is very good when the stack has good ventilation. This can be achieved using a pipe made of wood or a cage.To protect the stack from getting wet and rotting, you need to build a special device. You can place it directly in the barnyard or in a field under a canopy.

Storing hay in bales

The most convenient device for storing hay is a hay barn. This is a special structure that has a movable roof. To build it, you will need to bury 4 eight-meter metal pipes in the ground. On top of them there should be pins, also made of metal, which are designed to hold the roof.

In addition, here you need to dig 4 more small pillars and install a wooden flooring on this base. It will protect the hay from snow and dirt. It is necessary to install frames with arches on the metal pipe pins to place the roof of the hay barn on them (as a result, it will lower or rise depending on the amount of forage). The hay in such a structure is not afraid of even slanting rain. You can protect it even more by wrapping the mop with cling film.

See video: Where and how to store hay? The simplest and cheapest do-it-yourself hay barn

Naturally, storing hay is a very labor-intensive process, but people who are used to doing it do not think about it, but rather try to somehow improve this or that structure so that in winter pets are provided with high-quality fragrant food.