Very Concerned about round bales

[StarRidgeAcres]

Am I being an alarmist? Yesterday I'd talked myself out of it being a problem, but now I'm concerned again. These are two large round bales (first cutting from this year) that we brought home over the weekend. Got into the first one last night and saw what I believe was steam coming out of it and it was warmer to the touch inside the bale versus the outside layer. These bales are in my barn. Are they a fire hazzard? Is something going on inside there that shouldn't be?

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

temp inside reads 102.7

 

[Becky]

Are they a fire hazzard?

I would have to say yes and I would want them out of my barn. Apparantly, the grass was baled too wet from what it sounds like. You could have some internal combustion going on. At the very least, moldy hay...

 

[AppyLover2]

I agree that they need to come out of your barn. Sooner rather than later, just in case.

 

[Connie P]

I agree - take them out of the barn ASAP.

 

[walkermini]

I would get them out of the barn and dont feed them. They were baled too wet. I would contact the seller and see if he will replace them or refund your $$.

 

[shelly]

Yup it sounds like they baled it wet...I have seen bags of wet grass clippings actually MELT the bags!! It could definitely be hot enough to catch fire!!!!

 

[mydaddysjag]

I'd get them out now, and far from your barn. Last year we had the same problem where I board. The day after they were taken outside, they caught fire. They burnt and smoldered for 4 days.

 

[ontherisefarm]

Ditto.....What they all said...

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Thank you so much for the responses. We're going to move them out now. I did finally get my hayman on the phone and he said to not feed them to the horses and to move them away from the barn just like you guys said. He wants me to confirm the second bale is the same way. Currently have one sitting directly infront of the other so we'll have to move the first one out anyway to get to the second one.

He said to come and get replacements...and then he said "I sure hope this is an isolated incident." Yeah, I bet he does!!! I bet he's running out to his hay barn right now to check!

 

[Frankie]

Well,,,that wasn't the answer I was looking for!!

Sorry.

Was watching this thread as I had 25 small square bales doing the same.

Better go to the barn

 

[Kim]

Yikes, scary! I agree, get them out of your barn NOW, and be sure to put them far enough away that if they do ignite, they are far away from anything else that might catch fire. Once you get them outside, you might want to even open up the bales and spread them out, which I would think would minimize the risk.

This happened to me once with a pile of shavings. I was rebedding stalls late at night and noticed on my second or third trip to the shavings pile that it was awfully warm. I ended up having to take the entire pile out of the barn wheelbarrow load by wheelbarrow load, in the middle of the night in the freezing cold. Not fun!

 

[MiLo Minis]

I was driving into town one day and saw a fella cutting hay. On my way home I saw him round baling it!!!!!

The next day I drove by and they were all on fire!

For square bales that are steaming cut the strings now and spread the hay out a bit to cool it down quickly and you will still be able to feed it as long as mold has not taken hold.

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

I have a friend that a few years ago, had her hay barn burn to the ground because of this same thing.

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

Just thought I'd pass along that I did some reading about this subject and most resources that I would consider reliable (universities, ag centers, etc.) seem to say the temp (inside the bale) to worry about is 125 degrees and above. I'm sure I could've probably left both bales in my barn, but the $90 isn't worth the risk to my horses and my barn. But even if they never would have caught on fire, there was still moisture inside so I'm not going to feed them to the horses anyway.

Thanks for the quick responses! I appreciate having this resource (all of you guys) to ask.

 

[wildoak]

I'd have been worried too! At best it sounds like you will have moldy hay and at worst, well not somewhere you want to go.

We were talking about this to a hay guy last week when we picked up a load and he recalled having probably 20 round bales catch fire one year, stacked at the edge of the field. As to manure burning - 'nother subject but yes I've seen a big area where manure was routinely spread catch fire and burn for months!!

Jan

 

[h2t99]

for square bales you can also sprinkle salt on the bales as you stack them in the barn!! We have done that when we were using a semi trailer to store hay, the salt is what you pick up at a co-op and is just salt no chemicals so it is safe!!

 

[ruffian]

Sounds like you have a responsible hayman. It could be isolated - a heavier area in the field, a low spot etc. But the good news is he's willing to replace it.

 

[AppyLover2]

the temp (inside the bale) to worry about is 125 degrees and above

Just because it wasn't that high when you discovered it doesn't mean that it wouldn't continue to rise. I definitely think you made the right decision when you moved it.

 

[IloveMiniatureshorses]

EEK! I would panic at something like that. I believe that is how Blue Boy died, from what Fredericka was telling me. Not because he ate the hay, but the hay caught on fore and lighted up other hay bales and they the whole barn was on fire...

But, it was a good thing that you got that hay out of the barn quickly...

Alyssa