The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Ian.mccarthy@hotmail.co.u on February 13, 2018, 10:19:27 am
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The farmer who supplies hay for us over the past few years is no longer able to do so. Our problem is that we can only buy 6 bales at a time as we have no storage space for more. We live in Pembrokeshire - does anyone know where we can source small numbers of bales please?
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You could buy small bales of wrapped haylage and store it outside?
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Before we got our hay storage we used to stack it on pallets and cover it with tarpaulin and put electric fencing around to stop the animals getting to it.
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I'm currently getting in big bales, which work out much cheaper than small ones, and using a bale tidy (https://www.baletidy.co.uk (https://www.baletidy.co.uk)) to cover it. I just take some off each day to put in the racks. It's so much easier than a tarp and really keeps everything dry and secure.
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We switched to big bales as well, mainly for goats so we were going thru a over a bale a day, £4 a bale, big bale lasts about 2 weeks, £25. I did have to get one off someone else, £35 but a bigger bale. Roll it inside and unwind to to feed.
Could you make a wooden frame and use metal sheeting for a roof? Make gates for the sides?
less hassle than messing with small bales, which I use during summer.
amended to increase some font size, don't know why it was tiny?
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I’ve gone over to big bales this year... it’s at least halved my hay bill !
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If we need to get the hay made into big bales because of a change in the weather forecast we get them made as small as possible, which is rollable by two people, stand them on pallets and tie a tarpaulin over the top, securing it to the bottom of the pallet.