Hay storage question AGAIN!

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This topic has 23sd replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 2 months ago by Lightchick.

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- 09/07/2008 at 1:48 PM
  JK
  Participant
  2223 posts
  I know we have talked about different ways to store hay. Now I have another question that wasn’t answered before! I just shared a bale of hay with someone at the rescue. I got 1/3 of a bale. Wow that’s a ton of hay for my one bun! I had no idea. It would fill a 50 gallon container! Anyway, I needed to get it out of the plastic bag, which we all know is not good as it sweats. I didn’t have a large enough cardboard box. So I thought I’d get a garbage can and then ended up getting a 30 gallon galvanized steel can which is nowhere near big enough. I’m thinking now that was a mistake because no way can the hay breathe it there. Is this ok or not??????? Does hay need to breathe or is that only if it’s in a plastic container?
- 09/07/2008 at 1:49 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  can you get a couple cardboard boxes?
- 09/07/2008 at 1:51 PM
  JK
  Participant
  2223 posts
  No – it would take 10 or more of the huge Binky Bunny boxes. 1/3 of a bale is an enormous amount of hay!
- 09/07/2008 at 1:54 PM
  kralspace
  Participant
  2663 posts
  How about the way the Oxbow packs their hay? the plastic bag has small holes in it to ventilate it. My horse hay always stayed fresh as long as it was dry and well aired. (smelled good too)
  
  I have mine in the back room in one of those huge black yard bags with holes punched in it , as long as the buns or cats don’t get a chance to tear into it it stays neat.
- 09/07/2008 at 1:57 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  really? wow! i don’t know then. BBM got a bale awhile ago but hers fit in one of those plastic containers with the lid off.
- 09/07/2008 at 2:12 PM
  JK
  Participant
  2223 posts
  Kralspace – that’s my question! Does hay need to breathe? I can’t punch holes in a galvanized steel can!
- 09/07/2008 at 2:39 PM
  kralspace
  Participant
  2663 posts
  what if you bought a small roll of vinyl window screen? could you cut it so you could tie a cord or loop a bungee cord to keep it on just under the can’s lip? (to keep the bugs out) I guess the same would apply if you cut a large plastic bag and punched small holes in it to put over the top.
- 09/07/2008 at 2:52 PM
  JK
  Participant
  2223 posts
  Too late now! I’m so anal I just ordered this and found out yes hay must breathe! Thank you all.
  
  http://www.tackwholesale.com/half-bale-p-347.html
  
  Edited: However I ordered the full bale size because the hay has expanded so much since it was divided! I need to get another rabbit to eat all this hay!
- 09/07/2008 at 2:56 PM
  JK
  Participant
  2223 posts
  Actually kralspace that’s a really good idea until I get the hay bag. I have some extra screening. Thanks!
- 09/07/2008 at 3:06 PM
  JK
  Participant
  2223 posts
  Sorry to keep going on here but kralspace you are a frickin genius! That works sooo well!
- 09/07/2008 at 5:48 PM
  Beka27
  Participant
  16016 posts
  you know your’e a bunny slave when….
  
  lmao.
- 09/07/2008 at 5:49 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  Knowltons you must have bought a third of a Round Bale then? Those are huge!!!!
- 09/07/2008 at 7:05 PM
  JK
  Participant
  2223 posts
  K&K – What the heck is a round bale? It can’t be a regular bale because the 1/3 bale would never fit in the 1/2 bale bag I saw online according to the dimensions so that’s why I got the full bale size!
- 09/07/2008 at 7:06 PM
  JK
  Participant
  2223 posts
  Beka – what’s IMAO?
- 09/07/2008 at 8:53 PM
  kralspace
  Participant
  2663 posts
  heheheh, I’m not a fricking genius, but I had a horse for 32 years and had to keep hay anyway I could. Had to be very careful storing and stacking it if I got it straight from the field because as it aged, green hay can put out a LOT of heat, very hot to the touch if you stuck your hand down in the middle. Had to have ventilation to let it dry out evenly or it would mold and rot.
  
  A regular square bale of coastal is around 50-70 lbs and is very compressed, once you cut the twine or wire, it’ll spread out like it’s alive! I’ve seen some almost double in size. A round bale is huge, at least here in Texas, equals at least 10 square bales? takes a pickup truck with a big pointed tail gate attachment to move it.
  
  Here at the house, I keep my coastal bale in an attached (but unfinished) room, loosely wrapped in an old blanket to keep it from getting so dustry.
  
  Here’s how big a round one is
- 09/07/2008 at 10:47 PM
  Kokaneeandkahlua
  Participant
  12067 posts
  ^^ Yeah that’s why I thought you must have bought a third of a round bale?? I can’t see 1/3 of a regular bale beaing that hard to store?
  
  OK you know what you have to do, take a picture of all that hay and show us! heheh
- 09/08/2008 at 6:17 AM
  JK
  Participant
  2223 posts
  It’s like an alien taking over my garage! It must weigh 20 or so pounds BUT it has expanded like you wouldn’t believe! What kind of fool am I?
- 09/08/2008 at 8:16 AM
  kralspace
  Participant
  2663 posts
  You know you’re a bunny slave when you demand photos of hay!!!
  
  when it expands like that, it’s good springy hay and smells great.
- 09/08/2008 at 11:29 AM
  RabbitPam
  Moderator
  11002 posts
  Beka, if you’ll allow me…
  
  it’s LMAO, ie. Laughing My A** Off!
  
  Edson, keep eating…
- 09/08/2008 at 6:14 PM
  Scarlet_Rose
  Participant
  4293 posts
  It sounds like the your question has been answered here (yes hay needs air). My word you do have a LOT of unruly hay! My two are absolute hay hogs and it takes them about 3 months to polish off 1 regular bale. I store it in a huge plastic container big enough to fit a bale that I drilled a lot of holes in and store in a shed outside.
- 09/08/2008 at 6:40 PM
  bunnytowne
  Participant
  7537 posts
  hmm hay interesting subject. I have some in plastic bag on the porch the bag has holes in it. And I have what I could fit in 2 big plastic storage containers with holes in the bottom. This hay has already expanded b4 we got it home. It was the stuff that fell out of the bales.
  
  Yes it smells good a a aaaccchhoooooo.
- 09/08/2008 at 8:10 PM
  Lightchick
  Participant
  1017 posts
  If you bought a cheap plastic bin with a lid from Walmart that doesn’t seal properly ’cause it’s cheap (hee, hee!), is that enough ventilation? How can you tell if the hay is going south?
- 09/10/2008 at 7:29 PM
  Scarlet_Rose
  Participant
  4293 posts
  I don’t know if any of y’all have taken a look at a prior converstaion on this, but here it is just in case:
  
  Hay:
  
  Storage: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=1&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=3031#3066
  
  Where to buy/storage: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=54&forumid=1&tpage=1&view=topic&postid=13196#13197
  
  I would still put holes in a container that doesn’t seal properly, it really depends on how long you will be storing it in the container too. Longer-term storage should be as well ventillated as possible.
- 09/10/2008 at 9:32 PM
  Lightchick
  Participant
  1017 posts
  Thanks, Scarlet Rose! I checked the threads you linked to out…this one is helpful, too, though! (You guys who have been around for awhile must get sick of the same questions over, and over! And it’s interesting seeing names pop up whom I’ve never heard of…one was local to me! Wonder where they went…? And I didn’t know MooBunnay used to be in LA! Sad. I feel very alone in LA, which is WEIRD!)
  
  I don’t know how long I store for…I just started my 3rd flake, and I’ve had Lizzy 3 months yesterday, and Robbie a grand total of 1.5 week (not including boarding).
  
  I guess I’ll just drill holes in the thing the next time I have the drill gun out. I was just afraid of inviting in pests..fleas or fruit flies, and such. Do pests stay out of hay pretty well? I haven’t had a problem yet, but with Robbie’s flea-issue, I’m paranoid.
  
  Thanks!
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