When it comes to raising cattle, the correct storage of hay isn’t just a beneficial practice—it’s an absolute necessity, especially during the winter months when pastures go dormant and natural forage is scarce. In 2023 alone, over 4.6 million acres of hay were harvested in Texas, underscoring the vital role of hay in maintaining smooth livestock operations. However, the challenge lies not just in growing or buying hay, but in storing it correctly. Failure to do so could mean a significant loss of your investment.
Adverse weather conditions, such as drought, can further complicate the situation. When the weather dries up and hay becomes harder (and more expensive) to come by, protecting your existing hay becomes even more crucial. This is where innovative storage strategies come into play. These strategies empower you to maintain both the quality and the nutritional value of your hay, ensuring your cattle get the feed they need when natural forage is insufficient.
The good news? You don’t need a fancy barn or a big budget to get it right. With just a few simple rules—like packing bales tightly, keeping them off the ground, and choosing a smart storage spot—you can stretch the life and value of every bale. This post’ll walk through five practical, no-fuss tips that make a big difference. Whether you’re a new producer or have been at it for years, these tips will help protect your hay—and your bottom line.
Start Strong: Pack Your Bales Tight
Ensuring high-quality bales for later in the year is crucial for maintaining optimal cattle nutrition. The hay bale must start off right in order to feed high-quality hay later. No type of storage will improve
low-quality hay, so it’s essential to focus on the initial quality of the bales.
The bales that you make should be packed very tightly when they come out of the machine. If the bale is too loose, moisture will get inside it and ruin your hard work. It only takes a little to lose the dry matter content. Depending on the size of your bale, just 2 inches of loss can account for 10% of its dry matter.
The first step in ensuring that your bales are packed tight is to ensure that the setting on your baler is set correctly. You may not like it, but reading the operator’s manual is required for this to happen. In order to do this, it may take a couple of bales to get it where it needs to be, but it is worth it in the end. In a previous post, I go into more detail, “4 steps to the perfect hay bale”.
A good rule of thumb for knowing if the bale is tight enough is pressing it down with the palm of your hand. If the bale goes down more than 1/2 inch, then it is too loose. Too loose means more nutritional value will be lost over time.
What to do:
- Check your baler settings. (Yes, it’s time to pull out that operator’s manual.)
- Make a few test bales and adjust as needed.
- Do the palm test: Press down—if it gives more than 1/2 inch, it’s too loose.
Bottom line: A tight bale keeps the good stuff and moisture out.
Keep It Covered: Protect Bales from the Elements
Now that you have a field full of correctly packed hay bales, you will need to consider how to store them. The general consensus is that keeping them inside is the best option.
Storing bales inside is a highly effective method that ensures you retain a significant amount of dry matter. The loss of dry matter is significantly reduced when the outer parts of the bale are not exposed to the elements as they would be stored outside. A study by Oklahoma State showed that bales stored under a roof only lost 3-10% of their dry matter over 12-18 months versus 15-50% when they were just stored outside in the elements. This fact reassures you that by implementing proper hay storage techniques, you can secure a substantial portion of your hay supply, providing a reliable source of nutrition for your livestock.
The problem with storing them inside is that only some have the financial or simple desire to build an entire building to hold their hay. If this is you, there is still nothing to worry about. You can get the same results by having some sort of roof or just using a tarp. They must be kept from the elements.
Don’t Let Your Hay Touch Dirt
Now that we have the top covered, it is time to look at taking care of the bottom of the bale. Ground contact can account for almost over half of the dry matter loss that occurs. Being directly in contact with the ground will allow the bales to absorb the moisture from the soil. In the event of rain, it will also prevent wicking and drying out action that could occur.
Allowing your bale to absorb moisture constantly can lead to significant issues. Not only does it cause dry matter loss, but it also promotes mold growth. Moldy hay is of no use to your animals and can even lead to bales catching fire, resulting in additional costs. It’s crucial to prevent these problems by storing your hay bales correctly.
You don’t have to build a large platform to store your hay and keep it off the ground. You can get away with having a bed of crushed rock, which is an option you can choose. When going with the crushed rock idea, make sure that the bed is 6 inches deep. Going with this depth is an excellent way to get the best drainage. What you are looking for with this option is something with good drainage. Good drainage means the bales do not sit in water for any period of time.
Location Matters: Where You Store Your Bales
One thing often overlooked when storing hay bales is where you put them. Believe it or not, the location can significantly affect how much hay you lose to moisture and rot. And when hay prices are high, or supplies are tight, losing even a few bales is a hit no one wants to take.
First things first—avoid storing hay under shade trees. While it might initially seem like a good idea, shade keeps things damp. Less sunlight means slower drying, and that moisture hanging around your bales is what leads to mold and dry matter loss over time. Instead, you want a spot with good sun exposure and solid airflow. A nice breeze can help dry out any moisture from rain or dew and keep conditions around your hay dry and healthy.
Spacing matters, too. When stacking bales, try to line them up from north to south. This orientation lets the sun shine on both sides of each row throughout the day. And leave about three feet of space between those rows. That little bit of room allows air to circulate more easily and gives the sun a clear shot at drying things out after a rain.
It’s a simple setup, but it works. Good sun, good airflow, and a little breathing room between stacks can protect your hay and stretch your supply through the off-season. Remember, even the best-packed, highest-quality bale can lose value fast if it’s stored in the wrong spot.
Feed the Old Stuff First
Let’s talk about something simple that makes a big difference: stacking your hay with a rotation in mind. It might not seem like a big deal at first, but how you stack your bales affects how much hay you actually get to use.
Here’s the deal—hay doesn’t get better with age. The longer a bale sits in storage, the more dry matter it loses, even under good conditions. That’s why it’s essential to use the oldest hay first. And the best way to do that is by stacking your bales in a way that makes rotation easy.
Think of it like grocery store shelves—new stock goes in the back, old stock gets pulled to the front. When you bring in fresh hay, stack it behind or on top of the older stuff. This way, the bales that have been sitting there the longest are the ones you’ll grab first when it’s time to feed. This simple method helps keep your hay supply fresher overall and minimizes waste.
Now, this part really depends on where you’re storing it. If you’re storing hay in a barn or under a covered area, make sure there’s room to move bales around so you’re not constantly digging to get to the older ones. If you’re storing it outside, layout matters—set up your stacks in a way that gives you easy access to the oldest bales without having to rearrange the whole pile.
It’s one of those small things that doesn’t take much extra effort but pays off in the long run. Less hay wasted, more money saved—and that’s always a win.
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