Wet small bales-question

[leanin' H]

So I bought 200 small bales of oats and new alfalfa today. (Next time I do stupid things like this because I'm notoriously cheap, would one of y'all please hit with a shovel before I close the deal?) Anyway, they were baled right but have been rained on in the field twice. They average 85 pounds and the moisture is mostly on the bottom where the bale sat on the ground. Bales are not hot inside at all. I plan to unload them in a single layer with the wet side up and let them dry a day or two. My problem is there is a storm forecast for Tuesday. Y'all ever had experience in a deal like this? I'm a hoping I can let them dry til Monday night and then get them stacked prior to the storm. I will for sure keep them away from my other hay just in case. Thanks for your replies in advance. I'm not the brightest bulb and here is more proof for those of ya who doubted my dumbness

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Dad used to sprinkle loose salt when he was stacking sheaves. Maybe spread some salt between the layers.

 

[Mountain Cowgirl]

If you have a hay shed, just stack each damp bottom bale on the side with the moist bottom facing out. I used to buy the bottom damp bales at a lower price and built a hay shed with a 6" deep elevated gravel floor and would stack them in rows of two wide with dry tops together, moist bottoms out, and leave just enough space between rows where the cats and air could circulate. I would stack 6 bales high and 10 long so each double row had 120 bales and my shed would accommodate 4 rows with good air circulation. Since the gravel, poles, and slab for siding on 3 sides were mostly a labor investment, the cost of the metal roof paid off the first year since I could buy the damp bottom bales at a much lower price.

 

[Faster horses]

Mr. FH says like BMR, salt the bales between the layers.
Mountain Cowgirl has a good idea too. I guess I would do what's easiest. Good luck!

 

[webfoot]

Stack them on edge with the wet side out.

 

[leanin' H]

I've got them in a huge single layer with the wet edge up this morning. I'm amazed at how well they dried today!!!! A 25 mph breeze helped a bunch. Going to stack them tomorrow and see how they do. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Nicky]

Nice to know wind is good for something.

 

[leanin' H]

Hey guess what? The amazing accurate weather idiots were wrong again!!!! The 50% chance has turned into 100% and snow after dark. I drove like an insane person to try and get home a little early to attempt to beat the storm. We got 100 bales stacked and then it started pouring. So the other hundred get to start over trying to dry

 

[Nicky]

Remember...never cuss moisture

 

[Evans]

Dad used to sprinkle loose salt when he was stacking sheaves. Maybe spread some salt between the layers.

Thats what my Grandmother used to do years ago.

 

[Evans]

Hey guess what? The amazing accurate weather idiots were wrong again!!!! The 50% chance has turned into 100% and snow after dark. I drove like an insane person to try and get home a little early to attempt to beat the storm. We got 100 bales stacked and then it started pouring. So the other hundred get to start over trying to dry

I love big round bales.

 

[Rancherpoppy]

Get you in the blessing place.

 

[pups and bucks]

Sooooo.....how did the bales keep?

 

[leanin' H]

Amazingly they did!!! I've fed roughly half and haven't had any mold. I was able to turn the hundred that got rained on again here. I turned them all twice and then stacked them in a separate stack in case they decided to BBQ themselves. It was a heck of a bunch of work to unload them in a big single layer and turn them twice. And then stack them but so far the gamble has paid off.