storing hay (and straw?)

[Spishkey]

well tomorrow i have my first big delivery of hay and straw coming for the animals! ( 10 x 16kg hay, 10x 12kg straw!) i have the space, but am wondering, do i need to cover it with something? do i need to leave gaps between the bales for air or just stack them up? is there anyway to keep mice out? ive always just had one bale at a time but the guy said he could no longer bring it free unless i ordered 10 at a time

 

[Ange17]

Hay keeps longer and doesn't go 'musty' as quickly if air can circulate around the bales. So unless it's in a damp place I would not cover it.

Leave slight gaps between the bales as this also will allow air circulation.

As for mice, unless the whole place you are storing it is mouse proof they will get in there. The only way to stop them is by covering it and that could lead to it going musty/dusty if stored for a while. The mice may chew through the covering anyway.

 

[slackalice2k]

I think if mice want to be in they will be whether you cover them up or not.

My dad stores large stacks of maybe 400 bales under an open fronted dutch barn, no covers, the big round straw bales get stored outdoors too, but even though they're stored all year it's only the first 10cm that really go rotten and goes straight on the muck pile, the rest is good.

If you're storing in a shed as long as it's well ventilated you should be ok just stacking them up. It's if there's a condensation build up that you might find the outers of the bales going a bit fusty. When the bales have gone mouldy on the inside it means that the grass was too wet when it was initially baled up, so nothing to do with how you store them.

I wouldn't really cover them unless you have to store them outdoors, if you are then cover them as soon as they arrive, and maybe take the cover off on good dry sunny days.