Hay storage

The easiest and cheapest way to store hay and straw is outdoors, by protecting it with a plastic foil or agro-fibre. However, it is difficult to avoid losses due to moisture, mould and wind, which affects the economics of a dairy farm. The solution is hay warehouse, traditionally called a barn. There are many agricultural halls available on the market, using different construction solutions. Among them are long-lasting tent halls made of light and durable aluminium profiles, which are commonly perceived rather as temporary buildings.
However, these structures can be designed to serve for up to 50 years with a maximum span of 60 m and adapted to local wind and snow conditions. Piotr Olejniczak, a farmer from Zamysłów, decided to invest in such a hall with dimensions of 24x60x6m, with trapezoidal sheet metal wall cladding and a tarpaulin roof. Of many structures available on the market, he chose a long-standing tent hall by Pol-Plan, which can accommodate up to 3,600 straw and hay bales.
Storing straw and hay in a tent hall helps to avoid many of the problems that are inevitable when storing straw and hay outdoors under a cover of plastic sheeting or agro-fibre. Minimizing losses of valuable fodder and bedding material due to dampness, freezing, mould and wind is particularly important for dairy farms.

Straw and hay storage is a very important issue for farms focused on milk production. Storing hay outdoors under a cover of plastic sheeting or agro-fibre entails inevitable losses. The ideal form of protection is a hall or barn. A traditionally built agricultural hall with large dimensions, including steel halls, is a significant expense for a farm. The solution is a long-lasting tent hall designed for decades of use and adjusted to local wind and snow conditions.