hay bale construction

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Even though we store hay on pallets in the barn, we have a good number that are molded from just humidity to the point of being unsafe to feed. I was thinking about using them to put up a small chicken house. Nothing fancy but I was curious about a foundation that would keep out drafts but also reduce composting of the bottom edge and a more insulating roof than Andy Lee mentions in CHICKEN TRACTORS. I would really appreciate the benefit of experience as I don't need that much mulch and the bales are still intact. I also don't have much in the way of carpentering skills so type slowly when you explain. I have plans to pull out all old pallets, scrape out the built up material and replace with a double layer of pallets for better air circulation before we put in this season's crop.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), February 18, 2000

Answers

I don't know about your construction product... but we also stored our hay on pallets, and suffered some loss to mold. This year, we got some wonderful hay, cheap, out of the field... but it was damp. We used the old time farmers method of salting each bale as we piled it in the barn. I used a good handful sprinkled on each bale. It worked like a charm. I am just using up the last of those big alfalfa bales, and they are wonderful. The salt is available at the feed store. I will be salting every year from now on!

-- Lou (daleb@kent.net), February 18, 2000.

That's NOT hay bale construction - it's straw bale building. Straw is what's left after grain has been harvested - virtually just cellulose and lignin - like wood - no nutrients. Hay, even mouldy hay, has nutrients - that could feed more mould. Sealed in, if hay got damp and started rotting it could generate enough heat to catch fire. Also makes a FINE home and buffet both for rodents. You could maybe use it to build temporary (1 to 2 years) pig sty walls, but not much more or bigger.

You could stack them outside on top of newspaper sheets and let them rot down to make gardens - no-dig gardening is always an attractive idea.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), February 19, 2000.


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