There are many things to consider when building a hay shed, especially, when it comes to productivity and storage. Many variables can affect how you design your hay shed, here are some pointers that can help you along the way.
1. Size and Storage Requirements
Reviewing bale storage is critical to establishing strong operational processors, and building a hay shed that is appropriate for the job. The type of hay bales can influence the overall dimensions of your bale storage and therefore impact size and storage capacity. For instance, rectangular bales require less space compared to round bales & are easier to stack. Larger hay bales require a shed with wider bays for access compared to smaller hay bales. Our building consultants can help you calculate and design your hay shed with the right dimensions.
2. Location and Position of Your Hay Shed
The location of your hay shed affects many factors. Once your hay is baled, moving it to your hay shed should be an efficient process, it is always advised to calculate how many hay bales you will be loading and transport requirements as this will affect your productivity. Locating your hay shed too far from paddocks can increase additional time to the process. It is intended to simplify the bailing and storing process to make the workflow more efficient and avoid headaches.
The position of your hay shed is determined on weather conditions. Here, in South Australia strong weather usually comes in from a south, westerly direction. To mitigate any spoiling or damage to your hay we recommend the open facing is east to primarily to protect your hay. Other factors that impact of location are:
- Proximity from other farm sheds
If you have a machinery shed that holds a lot of farm equipment, there can be a risk of fire, which could be a possible risk to your hay storage. Also on the other hand, placing your hay shed too close to silos or grain sheds can lead to rodent transfer. It is best to avoid the possibility of mice and other rodents nesting in your hay shed and causing an infestation. Establishing proper proximity can help prevent both these potential issues, not to mention ensuring your not building close to power lines. - Think of privacy
As Australians, we value our privacy and security. No one likes someone looking over the back fence from the main road. These concerns are surprisingly often overlooked when we raise them with our clients. Some questions to ponder are… Does your path come within close proximity of your home and does this influence your privacy negatively? It’s a good idea to think about what’s important to you, your team and your family.
3. Access – Loading and Unloading
When it comes to loading and unloading, not allowing ample space at the front of your hay shed is the number one mistake we see people make, this situation can be easily avoided with the right advice. A great rule of thumb we have found to work time and time again is to allow ample space at the front of your hay shed – specifically equal space to the shed itself. For example, if your hay shed was 15m x 30m these measurements should be equal and the same to the front of your shed too. Mirroring your shed’s footprint is a fail-safe way to facilitate ease when it comes to loading and unloading your hay bales.
Any truck driver will tell you a good road is worth its weight in gold. For transportation, it is best the road is reliable and is a direct path that leads straight to your hay shed. What is the condition of the road from your shed to the main road? Getting the location of your hay shed right in relation to your main road can save you money, cutting a new track can increase your productivity and costs.
4. Drainage and stormwater storage?
Water is a valuable resource, especially in Australia. Depending on the dimensions of your hay shed, you may be able to harvest thousands of liters of rainwater each year. In order to maximise water collection, we recommend heavy-duty gutter systems, allowing the removal of all intermittent downpipes to allow stormwater to flow to the end of the shed where water can be collected. The design of this stormwater system is vital to ensuring that water flows away from your hay shed, rather than toward it.
In summary
- Future proof, think about what will be suitable in 5 years, rather than thinking just short term.
- Proximity of other farm sheds, such as grain or machinery sheds.
- Always think about location, in relation to proximity to other farm sheds.
- Bale size and type can impact your storage requirements.
- Access to your hay shed is vital in keeping costs down and productivity high.
- Drain and stormwater considerations are important in harvesting rain water.
- Positioning of your shed is important to keeping your hay protected.
For further ideas or information you will find our industry directory helpful and useful knowledge.
