One of the best haying families in the area just lost a barn and several hundred tons of hay by putting them up damp.
Insurance would not cover them as the hay was in a rented barn! The landowner had insurance for the barn but not for contents, their insurance would cover hay only in their barns!
Now they are lining up 8 bales in a row and leaving them in the field for a couple of weeks. Their normal practice was to get them under roof the same day as baled to prevent bleaching - - - worked good for many years but one damp clump in one bale can sure cause damage!