Q. I have a small farm with only four horses, but I like to buy feed and hay in bulk to reduce the number of trips to the feed store. What is the best way to store each, so they stay fresh for my horses and maintain their nutritional value?

A. Buying grain and hay in bulk for horses offers several benefits. It can not only reduce trips made to the store but also save you money. However, disadvantages include potential loss of nutrient content, increased incidence of spoilage (often from mold), and potential infestation of vermin or bugs. Spoilage and pest infestation can potentially make your horse ill, so always be observant for any issues.

Storing Horse Hay in Bulk

Horse owners most often buy square-baled hay in bulk because it can last for a year or more with minimal nutrient loss if stored properly. Keep hay in a dry environment, off the ground. Wooden pallets are a common and inexpensive way to provide space between the hay and the ground. If you need to store hay outside, lay waterproof tarps over it. In any storage situation, although you might be tempted to stack and pack hay bales tightly, you need to have airflow around the bales. This will help prevent moisture accumulation, either from absorption from the ground or leaks in the roof, which can cause hay to mold.

Closely monitor recently harvested hay for heat. As hay dries and cures it will become hot and, if it reaches a critical temperature of 150-170 F, it can combust. Ideally, hay should not get hotter than 120 F during the curing process. If you buy recently harvested hay, stack it loosely so heat doesn’t accumulate between bales. You can purchase a hay thermometer to monitor the temperature. Pull any bales that reach 150 F. Excessive heat can accumulate when hay is baled wet, with a moisture level of 25-35% moisture, instead of the ideal 16-20% or lower. If possible, store hay in a separate building away from the barn to reduce the risk of barn fires due to hay combustion.

Storing Horse Feed in Bulk

You can buy commercial feeds in bulk, but they have a shorter shelf life than hay. In ideal conditions (dry and a moderate temperature), bagged feeds can often be stored for 30-60 days, on average. In cooler and drier conditions you might be able to store it for four to six months. In hot and humid weather the storage time decreases to about three to six weeks, unless you store them in a cool (air-conditioned) space. Like hay, keep bagged feeds off the ground, such as on pallets. You can also keep them in rodent-proof containers. Once bags are open, keep them in a rodent-proof bin and feed them within two weeks. Monitor all feed for mold.

Feed manufacturers put production dates on their bags, and some will include a “feed by” date. Learn how to read this coding because feed that has been stored at the mill or feed store will have a shorter lifespan at your farm. Pelleted feeds, due to processing and heat treatment, tend to last longer in storage than feeds containing molasses and oils.

With both hay and feed, adopt a first in, first out mentality. Make sure to rotate feed and hay so you use the oldest first. If your providers are delivering feed to the farm and stacking it for you, be sure they rotate the bags, keeping the older ones on top or moving them out of the way.

Take-Home Message

Buying feed and hay for your horses in bulk might help you save money. However, you need to have adequate storage space to keep feeds out of the elements and extreme temperatures. Keep stored hay and grains off the ground so they don’t accumulate moisture and then mold. Make sure you can use up your concentrates before the expiration date (or shortly after), and store opened feed in rodent-proof containers.