Keeping Hay Dry with Tarpaulin Covers

Hay is considered to be a substantial resource used by many farmers and livestock owners. The maintenance of hay in a proper storage keeps its nutritional value and evades its waste. The use of Tarpaulin covers is one of the most effective ways to protect hay from moisture and weather damage. This article informs you why it is important to keep hay dry and how you can use tarpaulins for hay preservation.

The Importance of Dry Hay Storage

The first of the several big reasons why the hay must be kept dry is the nutritional content of it.

• Nutritional Value: The hay that has been dried out as well as the one that is wet has almost the same nutrients in them, but the dry ones are better for the animals.
• Mold Prevention: Showing of the animals that may perhaps come as a result of moisture through mold growing in their bodies makes the moisture dangerous and fatal to them.
• Economic Efficiency: Properly stored hay results in less of it being thrown away; hence, the long-term avoidance of excessive expenses is promoted.
• Fire Prevention: Wet hay can undergo a reaction that will ignite if oxygen is present and thus cause a fire as it can be flammable mainly if it rots.

Choosing the Right Tarpaulin

Here are the various specifications to be considered when buying a tarpaulin for hay coverage:

• Material: Polyethylene or canvas tarps are the best choice for hay storage, to allow water to roll out of the tarp if it is raining.
• Size: The tarp must be big enough so as to cover not only the whole stack of hay but it also has to be tied up with a rope.
• UV Resistance: Especially in sunny areas, choose the tarp which contains UV protection that prevents sun rays from damaging the sheet.
• Breathability: One of the advantages of some tarps that allow water vapor to escape and keep the rain out, which is ideal for hay storage.

Proper Tarpaulin Application Techniques

When securing hay with tarpaulins, the following should be ensured:

1. Build the haystack: Create a proper stack of hay and shape it properly so that you can avoid water from being kept on it.
2. Start covering immediately: Apply a tarp that is closest to the stacking place and immediately cover the rest in order to avoid wetness.
3. Attach edges: Tie the canvas to the space and use weights to keep it where it should be, don’t let the wind blow it away.
4. Let it breathe: Try making the hole smaller so that the air can still get through the bottom.
5. Regular Inspection: Visually check the tarp on a regular basis to make sure the tarp is not torn or moved from its place.

Benefits of Using Tarpaulins for Hay Storage

Right choices of hay cover provide several benefits to the farmer or livestock owner:

• Cost-effective: Building a shed or traditional warehouse is expensive in contrast to waterproof premium Heavy Duty Tarpaulin which comes out to a far cheaper fix for the military.
• Portable: One big positive with tarps is that it is some kind of a do-it-yourself product that you can render use of as per your needs means you only have to involve it.
• Versatile: Tarps can act as cover sheets for different sizes and shapes of the hay stacks.
• Easy to replace: Tarps with holes in the corners or ripped seams are very easy consumables to replace in a jiffy you don’t have to spend big money on them.

Alternative Methods and Complementary Practices

Aside from the use of tarpaulins, take into account these other means of secure storage of fodder:

• Building a rack and laying the bale of hay on pallets is a thing a farmer can do to place the bales out of the ground contact for them to be lifted up from the moisture on the ground.
• Buying and applying chemical preservatives to the hay bales is a sound option.
• Use moisture gauge to measure the level of moisture to which the hay should stay for storage time.

Maintenance and Care

To make sure of the long-term effect of tarpaulin covers, regular maintenance of these is essential:

• Regularly check the tarp for any damage like holes and tears.
• Periodically clean the tarp to keep it nice and prevent mildew growth.
• Re-set the cover again in the event of strong winds or heavy rainfalls.
• Erase the tarps that have thin spots, firstly, to take care of the effective shielding.

Conclusion

There is no hay farmer or producer that would not avail him/herself of the tarpaulin as the most essential source in moisture keeping and quality assurance. A farmer that opts for a proper tarp, installs it firmly, and regularly maintains it may reach a level of almost zero loss of hay because of moisture. Read This