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| "Here" rain is not an issue, we generally get 10-20 (never 20) inches of precip per year. Good tight bales last a Very long time out doors in those conditions, water will not soak in more than an inch or 2 into top bale, not much damage. I can imagine the 40" per year places may be different and covering is far more important, but 3-4 months in nebraska in a good stack isnt going to cause stack to heat enough to burn, in my opinion (worth what you paid for it!).
I agree with above about fancy quality hay being easier to spoil, 180-220 rfv, 20-24 protein, more stuff to heat inside. Here in montana, we can get away with that 16% third cutting (desireable even) in late sept or oct as temps are cool/freezing, but midsummer would look for a little lower, especially in 3x4 and 4x4. If bales are sagging in the stack thats an indication to me that they are pretty wet (softer, heavier).
We put up 3000-4000 ton/year in big bales [3x3,3x4,4x4) from the late 1980s until 2010s or so(have eased out since then, better to grow corn). Idiot cubes for 40 years before that. We used to ship hay all over the country, a lot to pa and mn dairies, a little to ca. Old saying here was "hard to make hay in october", it just never dries out. I suppose thats not even a small hay operation any more, but it was a lot of hay back in those days, or so i thought. | |
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Hay burning
