How to Store Hay
Many of our bunny friends know that feeding hay to bunnies is good for them. A lot of our bunny friends don't have a place to put those huge, horse-sized bales of hay though! Hay storage can be a huge, messy problem for the average bunny owner, so they in turn go out and buy those little bags of "Rabbit Hay" at the feed store. This gets expensive very quickly! This is also the primary reason we started making mini-bales.
Some hay customers will buy one bale of hay at a time for their bunnies. Many of those one-at-a-time customers have told me that they won't buy more than one bale at a time because the hay will "go bad." In truth, properly stored hay will stay fresh and nutritious for nearly a year. Those that come to the farm in January to buy "fresh" hay are surprised to learn that the hay has been in the storage barn or hayloft since July!
Since most of the problems with spoiled hay seem to be due to improper storage, this article will give a few pointers on how to keep your bunnies' hay fresh all winter long.
Hay is, simply put, grass that is cut, dried to less than twenty percent (20%) moisture, and then stored in order to keep a sustainable feed for livestock. Hay is best stored in a barn loft. Haylofts are dark, dry, and airy. This environment keeps the hay from becoming damp or bleached by the sun. The design of a hayloft allows for plenty of air circulation so that the hay will not become moldy or dusty.
So how does one store hay if they don't have a barn with a loft?
The three criteria for storing hay is that the storage place must be dark, dry and airy.
DO NOT attempt to store your hay in your basement! Basements are dark, but many are humid with poor air circulation. A bale of hay is sure to mold if left on the floor in a damp corner! Many basements are also dusty. Dusty hay can make horses cough and bunnies sneeze.
DO NOT wrap the hay tightly in a tarp. While this is dark and dry, there is no air circulation. Wrapping hay in plastic will also cause mold.
One particularly good place to put hay is up on a wooden pallet in the garage or garden shed, away from the windows. We can fit about a dozen full sized bales neatly stacked on one pallet.The important part of storing hay in the garage is to make sure that it is up off of the concrete floor so that the hay can breathe. Keeping the hay off the floor just that little bit also protects it from rain and snow that is tracked into the building.
It is also important to keep pests out of the haystack. Mouse traps work wonders here! Don't forget to keep birds out of the storage area as well. There is nothing worse than finding a bale of hay covered in pigeon poop. If you have a cat, make sure that the haystack does not become Fluffy's new favorite napping spot! I wouldn't want cat hair in MY dinner!
If you still can't find a good place to store your hay, consider investing in a hay bag. Classic Equine makes a wonderful top loading hay bag that we use to take horse hay to competitions. In the winter months, I load up my hay bags and hang them in the corner next to the rabbit cages. It's instant storage and hay dispensing in one!
With any luck, you can find a creative solution to your hay storage needs. Properly storing your hay will keep your feed costs down, and if you have just a few feet of space, storing several bales at once will keep you at home with your pets instread of running to the feed store!
Some hay customers will buy one bale of hay at a time for their bunnies. Many of those one-at-a-time customers have told me that they won't buy more than one bale at a time because the hay will "go bad." In truth, properly stored hay will stay fresh and nutritious for nearly a year. Those that come to the farm in January to buy "fresh" hay are surprised to learn that the hay has been in the storage barn or hayloft since July!
Since most of the problems with spoiled hay seem to be due to improper storage, this article will give a few pointers on how to keep your bunnies' hay fresh all winter long.
Hay is, simply put, grass that is cut, dried to less than twenty percent (20%) moisture, and then stored in order to keep a sustainable feed for livestock. Hay is best stored in a barn loft. Haylofts are dark, dry, and airy. This environment keeps the hay from becoming damp or bleached by the sun. The design of a hayloft allows for plenty of air circulation so that the hay will not become moldy or dusty.
So how does one store hay if they don't have a barn with a loft?
The three criteria for storing hay is that the storage place must be dark, dry and airy.
DO NOT attempt to store your hay in your basement! Basements are dark, but many are humid with poor air circulation. A bale of hay is sure to mold if left on the floor in a damp corner! Many basements are also dusty. Dusty hay can make horses cough and bunnies sneeze.
DO NOT wrap the hay tightly in a tarp. While this is dark and dry, there is no air circulation. Wrapping hay in plastic will also cause mold.
One particularly good place to put hay is up on a wooden pallet in the garage or garden shed, away from the windows. We can fit about a dozen full sized bales neatly stacked on one pallet.The important part of storing hay in the garage is to make sure that it is up off of the concrete floor so that the hay can breathe. Keeping the hay off the floor just that little bit also protects it from rain and snow that is tracked into the building.
It is also important to keep pests out of the haystack. Mouse traps work wonders here! Don't forget to keep birds out of the storage area as well. There is nothing worse than finding a bale of hay covered in pigeon poop. If you have a cat, make sure that the haystack does not become Fluffy's new favorite napping spot! I wouldn't want cat hair in MY dinner!
If you still can't find a good place to store your hay, consider investing in a hay bag. Classic Equine makes a wonderful top loading hay bag that we use to take horse hay to competitions. In the winter months, I load up my hay bags and hang them in the corner next to the rabbit cages. It's instant storage and hay dispensing in one!
With any luck, you can find a creative solution to your hay storage needs. Properly storing your hay will keep your feed costs down, and if you have just a few feet of space, storing several bales at once will keep you at home with your pets instread of running to the feed store!
