It was seasons like this that led experienced hay producer Phil Snowden to dream up Tocumwal business Hay Caps.
“So much hay was wasted in years like this when it was baled and stacked but left uncovered,” he said.
“For every 75 mm rain that falls on an 8 x 4 x 3 bale of hay, over 200 litres goes into the top bale.
“That's a 44-gallon drum of water and it ruins the hay.
“So if you are going to bale hay then that investment needs to be protected and Hay Caps are a very economical option if you don't have permanent storage.”
Mr Snowden said the other thing to consider was the moisture that would come up from the soil into the hay after the stack was built.
“When you are looking to store your hay, simple preparation of your site and using a ground sheet are easy ways to provide moisture protection for the bottom bales,” he said.
“Some examples of these are used grain bags or silage plastic, but the easiest of the lot is single-bale-width black recycled plastic rolls available from Hay Cap.
“If you are going to use grounds sheets of any sort under hay, it must be narrower than the bale.
“If you can see it sticking out from under the bale – it is too wide and the water running off the Hay Caps will fall onto the ground cover and seep in under the hay.”
For more information, call 1800 429 227 or visit www.haycap.com.au
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