[Pasture Farm]

Last year i stored 22 5ft round bales inside the barn ontop of old pallets two on the bottom then one on top in the middle.
My question is they take up so much room inside is there anyway I could store them outside. Its cut turned a few times to dry then baled and put inside i have no means of wrapping them. If i stored them on top of pallets would they be ok under a large tarpauline or would they rot with no air flow if i stored them outside.
Sheep feed is all its used for

[Sylvia]

Years ago, there was no bale wrap, balers or small /large bales. What did folk do then? Find out how to rick your hay, there may be someone nearby who remembers how.

[robert waddell]

if the hay is baled in good dry conditions it could be stored outside it would need to be covered with polythene then a tarpaulin on top  if there are any dips in the covering water will collect and waste the hay if a tarpaulin is used only
i doubt if anybody would be alive and able to stack loose hay as they used to it was thatched with wheat straw to make it waterproof     the last i saw hay stored this way was in the early sixty's small square balers were common then as was an Allis Chalmers round baler that made small round bales   it was the handling of them that proved there demise  even in the days of steam engines there were balers wire tied ones at that

[lachlanandmarcus]

I find small bales easier to store (can go in nooks and crannies), move and use I must admit.

You could go the tarp method outside but I think you might end up with quite a bit of wastage, may be worth trying with half the bales the first year and see how it goes, at least then if it doesnt work you still have half left all nice inside.

[Pasture Farm]

Sounds as though im going to have to struggle for room until that lotto number comes up and a bigger barn can be built 

[SingingShearer]

i doubt if anybody would be alive and able to stack loose hay as they used to

Actually I have made loose hay for the past four years and stacked it the same as it used to be, and I am only 20
 I was shown and helped by my father.

Philip

[Sylvia]

Well done you These skills may well be needed in years to come and shouldn't be forgotten.

[robert waddell]

singing shearer is that stored inside or out side

[SingingShearer]

Outside, and we don't thatch the stacks either.
 I try to learn as many of the traditional crafts and skills as possible so that they don't get forgotten.
Traditional skills also tend to be a cheaper alternative than the more modern ways.

Thanks,
Philip

[robert waddell]

traditional skills i don't think are a cheaper alternative         the traditional skills were from an era that had plenty of willing men whomen and children to do the manual work   a working horse was valued more than a man
i really don't see a return to that system of farming on either a large scale or pottering about
your hay stack needs at least 3 people  one forking from trailer to stack another forking on the stack and another tramping it down  that can be reduced to two with sheaves of grain
just take baling hay with a small square baler after you have baled it you are faced with building the bales up into 17 teens or 21ones
the biggest cause of death in the good old days of manual work was exhaustion    no god damn wonder the idyllic way of life that everybody aspires to today  was a complete drudgery no wonder the agric workers left in there droves to go  to factory's and fight in the wars

[SingingShearer]

Sorry Robert,

I totally disagree. We manage to make the hay and stack it with just two people but I could manage on my own if I had to, it would just take longer but as my time is my own, that doesn't bother me.
If, as you say, exhaustion was one of the biggest cases of death then how do you explain the hundreds of hard working men and women who lived long lives - some around us are over 90 and they have worked for most of their lives?

Traditional farming methods are making a comeback on smallholdings all around the UK as they find that they ARE a cheaper and sometimes better alternative to the modern ways.
Take for example my profession of shearing, hand shearing expenses are just that of the shears and the stones for sharpening, machine shearing expenses are that of the machinery which is much higher plus the electricity and maintenance.

Thanks,
Philip

[robert waddell]

so shearing is your forte   which one can you do the fastest  hand or electric  on a per sheep basis   and on a daily throughput 

[SingingShearer]

Obviously with the machine, around 2-300 per day. With blade shears probably around 100 to 150 per day but blade shearing gives a better quality fleece due to the fact that there is less double cut than with the machine and blade shears cut the wool cleanly rather than smashing the fibres, also the cheaper running costs.

There are also advantages in that the sheep have a protective covering of wool rather than being almost bald.

Philip

[robert waddell]

i think you have talked your self out of that debate  100% more throughput with modern method  but you could use the old hand cranked shearing machine that way you only have a coolie to crank the bloody machine and still get the throughput

[SingingShearer]

Actually hand cranked machines are slower than electric.
As with hay the old methods suit smaller scale farms and the modern methods suit large farms with more land to spread the cost over.

Philip