As one of the premier Amish barn builders in West Virginia, our team at MQS Structures knows how vital your barn is to your horses. Not only is it a shelter for them during inclement weather, but it can also be used to store important items. One of those essential items is a horse’s most common source of food, and hay bales.

During the spring and summer months, horses can roam around pastures and eat grass that naturally grows. But during the fall and winter, when temperatures get cold and the grass stops growing, hay is a necessity to keep horses healthy and strong.

So now that we know the importance of hay for horses, how do we take good care of it? Here are some tips on how post frame buildings in West Virginia can do just that.

Make Sure Hay is Not Exposed to Moisture

If hay is stacked in an area of the barn that has a leak or is exposed to precipitation, this could prove to be quite problematic. Square hay bales should be kept dry at all times to prevent mold or mildew growth. Once one hay bale has mold or mildew, it can spread to many others in the stack.

If hay has mold or mildew and is fed to horses by mistake, it could cause serious illnesses that a horse may not be able to recover from. If consumed, moldy hay has been known to cause respiratory illnesses, liver damage, and digestive issues. This just reaffirms how critical it is to make sure your farm buildings in West Virginia do not have leaks or water damage, especially if they are used for hay storage.

Make Sure Hay is Properly Stacked Inside Your Post Frame Buildings in West Virginia

When hay is poorly stacked, it can become dangerous to handle. The base layer of a stack of hay bales should serve as the foundation and should be wider than all other layers that go on top of it. Amish barn builders in West Virginia recommend using fewer bales for each layer to ensure your stack does not exceed its limits. It is always wise to make sure that no bale is ever hanging over the edge of the layer beneath it.

Alternate the Layers

One of the most effective ways to ensure a solid stack of hay bales is to alternate the direction the bales face with each layer. On the bottom layer, the bales should be stacked on their edge, with the bale strings facing to the side. The next layer should have bales that are stacked flat with the strings facing up. This technique helps tie the entire stack together and keeps everything neat inside your pole building in West Virginia. Alternating layers also allows for extra ventilation.

Are You Ready to Work with One of the Top Pole Barn Builders in West Virginia?

A quality pole barn built by our team at MQS Structures can be a valuable resource for hay storage and numerous other purposes. If you are thinking about adding a new structure to your property, contact us online for a free quote, or call us at (855) MQS-3334.

Our team is ready to help design and construct the perfect building for you.