Hay Tarps

About

Why Covering Hay Matters More Than Most Farmers Realize Hay that gets rained on does not just look worse. Moisture that soaks into a bale gives mold and bacteria what they need to start breaking down the plant sugars inside, which generates heat. In tightly packed round bales or stacked square bales, that heat has nowhere to go. Left unchecked, a wet bale can climb past 150 degrees Fahrenheit. That is the point extension agronomists flag as a real spontaneous combustion risk, not just a feed quality problem. A dry, well-cured bale stays safe. The job of a hay tarp is to keep rain and snow from re-wetting hay that was already cured properly. That keeps it safe and feeding well through the season. Waterproof, UV Resistant Poly Construction White Duck hay tarps are built from 10 mil, 6 oz polyethylene, fully waterproof and treated to resist UV breakdown from months of direct sun. That combination sheds rain and snow instead of letting it pool on top of a stack. The UV treatment keeps the material from turning brittle and cracking the way untreated poly does after a summer outdoors. Tarps are available in brown, black and silver, and white. The black and silver option gives a reflective top side that helps cut down on heat buildup under the tarp on hot days. Sizing a Hay Tarp for Round Bales and Stacks Good hay storage starts with matching tarp size to what you are covering. A single round bale usually runs 4 to 6 feet across, so a 10x10 or 12x12 tarp gives enough overhang to tuck and tie down properly. Covering a row of bales end to end calls for something longer. A 12x20 or 20x30 works for a short row, while 30x40 and up handle a full stack or a season's worth of bales staged together. As a rule, size up rather than down. A tarp that barely reaches the ground leaves the bottom edge exposed to wind and blowing rain, which is exactly where moisture gets back in. One Tarp for Hay and the Rest of the Farm These are not single-purpose hay covers. The same heavy-duty poly t