[mebnandtrn]

I have made a store for our home harvested (and so not really baled at all) hay and am wondering whether to add a front to it.  At the moment its made from solid sides, a solid back and a watertight roof.  The question is whether to leave the front open for ventilation, or put a door on it, which will seal (give or take seal anyway!) the store.  Does dry hay need ventilation or is it ok to put it in effectively a shed? If it makes any difference the store will at least at this time of year be completely full to the roof.  PS. The hay was made earlier this year and has been stored in the garage pending me making the store.  Many thanks in advance.

[Factotum]

Most hay barns are open-fronted - OK that's probably for access, but I think it's good to let some air get to the hay. If it's a bit damp, and it gets shut in, it'll probably start to go mouldy - not good.

Sue

[sabrina]

My hay barn is open at the front, also has vents at the back. If the hay you are getting has been stored inside for sometime it should be ok in a closed shed.

[regen]

provided that it is evenly dry when stacked in the barn it should be all right with or without a front/door. In any event it may absorb some water from the air as it equilibrates. The advantage of a door/enclosed front is that it will keep out snow and wind blown rain which if it manages to penetrate the stack will lead to mouldy/rotten hay. Always store in an enclosed barn and no probles with either baled or loose stacked hay.

Regen

[cloddopper]

In years gone by dad used to lay hay in foot thick slabs in one direction then the next one at 90 degrees to the direction and this was carried out tillthe hay ran out or thenhay stack reached about 16 feet tall , the top was capped in a three to four foot layer of directionally laid scythe cut hay from  the ditches and farm road sides it came out like a fan shape and rose to a cone . the cap was always slightly bigger then the base of the stack and this cones sloping roof kept off the rain  the stack got aired and never ever went mouldy .
 Come hay feeding time  each day he'd cut a segment of hay after moving the cap back a bit & use a massive hand worked stack knife to cut out a 2 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot cube of hay . Over a month od so he'd have worked his way round the top of the stack( s)  & removed a two foot thick layer always making sure that the bonnet /cap was put back in place to keep most of the rain off.


The stack had a 4 inch square mesh net over it with a few bricks hung down from the edges on binder band  to sop a bad gales stripping the hay off the stack .
 The stack was always built as close to the animal sheds as practicable just incase we got four or five feet of snow like we did in the early 1950's

[Marches Farmer]

That sounds very cheap and very effective!