How do you guys store hay?

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faiththequeen":2khqiwt0 said:
Okay, secondary question. What kind of hay do you guys buy? Right now they're on Timothy, because that is what's available in small bags. The kinds I can get around here usually say "mixed grassy hay" or alfalfa.
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I buy the only fresh hay that is available in my area and is what all the horse folk feed their horses-- Coastal Bermuda (grass). I was getting one bale at a time but was able to make a trade with a teenage horse gal looking for hiking/camping gear -- my no-longer-needed gear for her extra bales+$$. We were both happy. The hay is stored on a covered porch near the rabbit shed...the same place the rabbit and chicken feed is stored. I do worry a bit about moisture causing problems with my bales but so far I seem to be okay in that regard.
 
It's pretty dry here so I don't worry much about humidity here. If its dried properly humidity shouldn't be an issue.
 
It's very humid here quite a lot of the time. Right now, I keep my hay standing up in a Rubbermaid tub. It gets everywhere, because the tub contains only the end of the bale. At my uncle's house, it was under the carport, now it is in our shed.

In Florida, I had a 55-gallon drum that I lined with a contractor bag, and kept it on our screened porch. I worried about moisture, but never seemed to actually have a problem.

I have heard that there is a car wash place where I can get plastic drums that contained soap. It's supposed to be non-toxic soap, and food-grade plastic. I may get one, and drill some air holes in it. That should keep the mess much better contained. :)

I get Alicia Coastal Bermuda Grass hay. It was $15 for 75 pounds, or $30 for 150 (what I had to get last time, because they were out of the 75s). I think it is cheaper at the feed store near me now. I haven't had to buy hay in a while. It takes 6 rabbits a bit to go through 150 lbs of hay! It's going faster now with nest boxes and babies. I've been pleased, though -- it's stayed green for me.

Eventually, we want to build a lean-to onto the shed, and put a high shelf along the outside of the shed to be able to keep several bales at a time.
 
On a plastic pallet to avoid the moisture from the concrete in the corner of the stable with a tarp over it to keep the light off.
 
All the talk about "coastal" hay being bermuda grass reminded me I'd heard of what I had THOUGHT was "Coastal Bahia Hay". So I went, hmmm, and found this link http://www.flahorse.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23846 where two repliers have really done their homework. Coastal hay IS from Bermuda grass, but what is grown here a LOT is Pensacola (go figure, it IS Pensacola, LOL) Bahia. I think the hay I heard being called Coastal Bahia was probably a mixture? At any rate, it seems that either one would be great for rabbits, and I think that's the stuff I just bought (the mixture).
 
Diamond":2crygf2x said:
Placing a "Just One Bite" bait bar or some Deacon near your feed is the best way to minimize rodents. If you have dogs you can make an enclosed bait station out of a plastic food container with a lid (the reusable kind made with sturdy plastic).
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A full grown german shepherd can bite a hole in a metal can, it would easily get bait out of a plastic food container. I've had dogs chew through chain link and completely destroy heavy plastic crates.
 
Our shed is divided into two 8 foot square sections. The rabbits are in one half; The two geese and hay storage are in the other. There is a table along one wall to facilitate hay storage; plus three garbage cans for grain and partial bales of hay and straw. I have found that when I cut open a new bale, I can remove several flakes and then retie the remainder of the bale to keep it together. I am using a repurposed hay feeder for the rabbits and between the two we have less waste now.
 
For rat and mouse control, I will probably no longer go with poison. I'm going to try the "killer cupcakes" recipe somebody posted on here a couple of months ago.
 
dragonladyleanne":34pbt9qz said:
tnelsonfla":34pbt9qz said:
I also store it in a 55 Gallon Rubbermaid tub. I normally buy a Timothy mix. This last time because of the price( was on sale for $12) I bought a timothy/orchard grass mix. The wife does like the smell and the rabbits aren't as crazy for it, but I am near then end of it. I bought it September 23rd and I have 7 rabbits and went to a few shows( I always use extra at the shows). I will buy a T&A mix (timothy and alfalfa mix) it runs about $18 down here for a large bale.
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Do you not have a problem with the humidity condensing in a plastic container? I keep mine on a wooden table to avoid that, though I do spill a bit between there and the rabbits, thinking about making a hay rack in the rabbit run area. And how large is a large bale? I know Pensacola is cheaper cost of living than the bigger cities in Central and South Florida, but I just paid $5 for a 2'x2'x3' bale of mixed hay. The same size in pure Timothy (when they have it) is only $7. And that's from a feed store, I have seen the big truck bed size rolls advertised on Craigslist for $7-$10.
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It gets quite humid here, as well. The rubbermaid containers work very well for keeping hay dry and insect free, mainly because they don't sweat.

Metal garbage cans? Different story. When they get cold at night then warm up during the day (which happens alot this time of year around here), condensation forms inside and out (what I earlier referred to as "sweat"). That will cause mold in just about anything. I lost a red satin buck due to bad feed from such a situation when I was storing feed in a galvanized container. That set my red program significantly when it happened.
 
I have not had that problem with the can in the barn. I will have to keep an eye on it just to make sure.
 
They make locking heavy duty plastic and steel bait stations that require a key to get in to and the bait can't be shaken out. You can safely put out bait with pets. The only problem I ever had is once the stations start smelling like rodents the dogs have a tendency to carry them off, chew on them, and then bury them where we can never find them so I have to buy a new one. They used to do it with live traps too. I can't get the live traps that used to work for me anymore. Only those junky tin cats that never catch anything and are a hazard if placed where horses can step on them. Which along the stall wall is the perfect spot for a trap.
 
akane":1mydk813 said:
They make locking heavy duty plastic and steel bait stations that require a key to get in to and the bait can't be shaken out. You can safely put out bait with pets. The only problem I ever had is once the stations start smelling like rodents the dogs have a tendency to carry them off, chew on them, and then bury them where we can never find them so I have to buy a new one. They used to do it with live traps too. I can't get the live traps that used to work for me anymore. Only those junky tin cats that never catch anything and are a hazard if placed where horses can step on them. Which along the stall wall is the perfect spot for a trap.
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That's what I recommend. But I have a hard time finding the metal ones that are small enough for mice locally, and they are quite expensive on line. So the solution was never have more feed than what can go into the trash can.
 
skysthelimit":d6j5401q said:
I have not had that problem with the can in the barn. I will have to keep an eye on it just to make sure.
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IMHO, It's at it's worst when the temps get at or below freezing at night, then go up into the high-40's and low-50's during the day, especially when you're in an area which has runs of humidity throughout the year. Once I switched over to a large rubber garbage can, the problem never repeated itself.
 

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