Why is hay stored in a loft?

Because of dust and air quality issues, the use of loft hay storage is not generally recommended. Also, hay stored in a loft poses an increased fire hazard. Reduce fire risk by storing hay at proper moisture levels around 18% and by stacking bales so adequate air movement and ventilation can occur.Click to see full answer. Also to know is, what is the best way to store hay?Use a minimum of three feet between bale rows for air circulation, and always place bale rows going north to south. Avoid storing bales under trees and in the shade of buildings. If space is available, store some bales inside, especially higher quality hay that should be used near the end of the feeding period.Subsequently, question is, what causes dusty hay? Depends on what you can dusty too, any hay short of silage will produce dust but abnormal dust is usually mold spores from wet hay. A very slight pat with your hand on a moldy bale sends up a cloud of spores that is what we call dusty hay. You break that sucker open and it will be very dusty. Correspondingly, how do you keep hay from getting moldy? Stack the bottom layer of bales on their sides, with the strings facing sideways instead of up. The uneven surface allows better air circulation and helps prevent mold from growing. Stack the second layer with the strings facing up, all pointing in the same direction.How long is hay good for?You can store hay indefinitely if the stack is managed correctly; although, in humid climates, using hay within three years of harvest is ideal. Hay growers need to bale it at correct moisture levels because if it’s baled too damp the hay will generate heat, which leads to molding.