Stressing about hay!

Well for the Bunnies I normally get a large £2 Bale of hay from the farm in the village (just up the road) anyway a whole bale has gone all damp and musty smelling I don't know whether this happened because I stored it in a metal shed on a concrete floor and did not have it propped on anything or it might be because of when the farmer delivered the bale it was raining and it got wet :? ? anyway I have bagged up the hay and we will have to dispose of it :roll:

I really don't know what to do now as I have literally no hay other than a small tesco hay bag which i got yesterday as i thought the buns and the piggies especially (they're hay monsters) would want some fresh hay, the pigs normally have bagged 'natures own' hay from the range as eating hay and a bag lasts them 2 weeks but I could not do it that way for the bunnies as it would cost a lot of money, the farm hay is a better solution.

I have enough money to buy a wooden shed for the piggies new setup which we would have room to store a hay bale, would it still go mouldy in there if it was put in dry , how could I store it correctly? are there any other cheapish alternatives to farm hay?

why is hay so difficult to store this time of year are any of you else having hay problem?

It sounds to me as though the hay was slightly damp or wet when it was baled. I had one go like that. Since then, I ALWAYS stick my nose in a fresh bale and give a good old sniff!!!!! If it smells lovely and sweet then it's usually OK. If I can, I also stick my hand into it in a few places just to make sure there are no damp areas. My hay is stored on a pallet in the bunny shed. I don't cover it with anything to ensure good air flow around it. Aside from the one that was damp when baled, I've never had any other problems.

I would have thought that as long as your metal shed has good ventilation and the bale is stored on a pallet or on some strips of wood so that the air can circulate around it, then the bale would be fine in there. A wooden shed 'breathes' better than a metal shed but this still shouldn't pose a problem, as long as there is ventilation.

Mackers said:

It sounds to me as though the hay was slightly damp or wet when it was baled. I had one go like that. Since then, I ALWAYS stick my nose in a fresh bale and give a good old sniff!!!!! If it smells lovely and sweet then it's usually OK. If I can, I also stick my hand into it in a few places just to make sure there are no damp areas. My hay is stored on a pallet in the bunny shed. I don't cover it with anything to ensure good air flow around it. Aside from the one that was damp when baled, I've never had any other problems.

I would have thought that as long as your metal shed has good ventilation and the bale is stored on a pallet or on some strips of wood so that the air can circulate around it, then the bale would be fine in there. A wooden shed 'breathes' better than a metal shed but this still shouldn't pose a problem, as long as there is ventilation.

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Yes I think this too, it was raining when he dropped off the bale but it did dry off and it smelt really nice and fresh for a few weeks :? to be honest the metal shed is not very good for ventilation as you say wooden sheds are far better, the metal shed freezes from the inside them drips so no wonder the hay got damp. i think i will hurry and get another wooden shed sorted and then get a pallet so I can ask for another bale but make sure the farmer drops it off when it was dry, we had no problem with the hay bale in the autumn was just when winter came really I just want the best for my bunnies

I don't think you need to worry too much about a bale getting a little rain on it in transit (and I do mean only a tiny amount). As long as it hasn't been in pouring rain for hours then it should dry out as the damp is only just on the surface. It's when the hay is damp at the point of being baled that you have a real issue. The dampness gets compressed into the bale and then it just can't dry out and the mould starts .

My Mum has a metal shed that she used to store furniture that wouldn't fit in her house when she rented out a bedroom... it has now gone rotten from all the wet weather we've had and the damp seeping in from drips etc I think your idea of getting a wooden shed set up is a great idea :wave: