Tarping hay

Jessey

Jessey

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2004
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Suffolk, UK
Something I haven't had to do in years :p you're meant to tarp it to still allow air flow, right?
My ark barn is great but in the torrential rain the other day I learned its quite drippy :p I think it is from the nail holes where the tin is attached to the beams, as each beam was dripping :(
Initially I just strung the tarp across from one side to the other at an angle to just direct the drips away but its a bit of a wind tunnel and it became a giant kite and ripped the eyelets :rolleyes: wrapped around the bales its less of a kite but not sure thats a good way to cure fresh hay (baled last week)
 
Yes I know what you mean about airflow. We bought a load of hay last year from a local farmer and he told us how to stack and store it, good job we listened as it was freshly done and if we'd just stacked it like we do old stuff it might have spoilt. Just a thought with the nail holes etc could you fill them with expanding foam? Or similar?
 
Trewsers said:
Yes I know what you mean about airflow. We bought a load of hay last year from a local farmer and he told us how to stack and store it, good job we listened as it was freshly done and if we'd just stacked it like we do old stuff it might have spoilt. Just a thought with the nail holes etc could you fill them with expanding foam? Or similar?
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I do have some expandy foam :p the problem is reaching the top ones, and of course those were the worst leaking ones :rolleyes: being an arc its a bit tough as you can't just shimmy up a ladder then carefully shuffle about fixing bits
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Since you're just protecting it from drips, rather than from rain at all angles, I would use a tarp that's only just big enough to fit over the top of the hay and tie it down on each side, touching the hay at the top. That should stop the wind from getting under it, allow air flow around your hay, but make a second roof to keep off the drips.
 
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We have a leaky roof where we store the hay too......as Jane said but we also put strategically placed big rocks or lumps of wood dotted about on the top row of hay to hold the tarp from actually resting on the top row of hay(you can lose the top row to mould if you don't do something like this) don't do as we did and use old wood pallets on top to hold the tarp off...that rested on too much of the hay and it also encouraged mould.
 
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The expanding foam would be a great job but I would be like you and not fancy shimmying across the roof :eek: I think its just a case of securing the tarp over just the hay as best as you can with still allowing air flow.
Just while we are on the subject of hay. Mine is kept in a large shed but they are covered in cob webs and giant spiders..I really really hate spiders what does everyone else do..i end up beating the hell out of the bale before I will lift it up :eek::oops:
 
Jane&Ziggy said:
Your poor spiders! What did they do to you? ;)
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No, I beat the hell out of the bale so the spiders run out of it before I lift it. They give me the heebie Jeebies but I wouldn't kill them. I used to have a real fear of them but I have overcome it but I still don't like them. I fell in an ants nest when I was very little and it left me terrified of insects..
 
I've run some baler twine from one side of the barn to the other and made a 'tent' over the hay, I'll come up with a longer term plan tomorrow, I do have lots of tyres kicking around :)
 
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