Thread: Hay bails- large or small

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I have been thinking about hay bails this year. Do you all keep them and reuse them? Do they survive ok multiple years? I always hear about them being a spontanious combustion hazard and I though maybe bees would like to nest in them, so I never went to the trouble of getting them. But I'd like to and I'd prefer to keep them for multiple years- depending on the ease of storage. Any thoughts?

Dan

They hold mold spores in a bad way. I kept mine from last year and when I moved it 6 months later...I ended up with half a swollen face.

For $6 I'd just get new ones each year.

Mold is big issue unless you have a dry place to store during the year. I have horses and store hay year round. It needs to be in a well ventiled area off the ground and with ceiling clearence. spontanoues combustion can also happen, I can testify to that. My horse barn burned to the ground in 2007 due to the hay delivery people putting too much in the room, 3 days later gone charred to the ground. thank God for insurance, If you don't have to I would just buy new each year, you could donate the bales left over to your local animal shelter for the winter, or someone who may hunting or outside dogs. be careful

Not to mention that mice love to nest in them. Just get new ones.

Thanks for that info! I think I'll buy new each year. I'm sure leaf pickup would take them. I just got a catalog today and it had fake ones in there to the tune of 70 bucks! Yikes!

Dan