By Barsha Bhattacharya
If you have reason to store large amounts of hay on your farm, then you’ll know how crucial it is to keep your hay safe and dry at all times.
Having your hay bales ruined by the elements will not only leave your animals short on feed but will also affect your budget and profit margins.
Many Australian farmers avoid this by investing in the robust Australian-made hay sheds that are popping up all over the country.
Keep reading as we explore the top reasons why you should consider a hay shed for your storage needs.
Most Popular Types of Farm Sheds in Australia
A standard farm shed cannot provide all the facilities for different kinds of farms. So, to meet the specific needs, different types of farm sheds are created.
Some of the most popular types of farm sheds in Australia include:
1. Hay Sheds
One of the most popular types of farm sheds in Australia is hay sheds. With a hay shed, you can store your hay properly during severe weather conditions.
Moreover, you can use these sheds for a lot of different purposes. From storing your hay to keeping your farm machinery safe, hay sheds can come in handy for a lot of things.
Also, the hay sheds can help you to keep the hay in the proper condition with enough airflow and ventilation. So, you can prevent hay corrosion due to trapped moisture.
2. Yard Covers
If you are running an animal farm in Australia, you should be prepared for the hot weather. During the scorching heat of the summer, you will need a proper shelter to keep your animals safe.
So, you can invest in yard covers to protect your animals from the heat. Moreover, the yard covers can spread over a wide range of the farm, and you can easily keep all your animals under the shade.
3. Farm Machinery Storage
With innovation, farming also incorporates different kinds of machinery to improve its operations. But, leaving this machinery on the field can end up destroying them in no time.
So, it is crucial to have a dedicated space with a proper storage area to keep this farm machinery. Moreover, you can design your farm machinery storage based on your needs and requirements.
Also, a custom-made shed can help you to properly store the machines and keep them away from harsh weather conditions.
4. Grain Sheds
A good quality grain shed can help you to keep your harvested grains safely. In these sheds, you can store your high-quality grains and protect them from going bad with the weather.
However, it is important to look into the structure and quality of materials being used for the grain sheds. With good quality products, you can get a custom-made shed to store your grains.
5. Feedlot Shelters
In farms that raise cattle, feedlot shelters can be useful to keep the animals safe. These sheds can help in protecting the animals from harsh weather conditions and give them a place of shelter.
Moreover, the feedlots can ensure that your animals have a designated space to stay while they are growing. So, you can keep them on your farm and enhance the operational efficiency.
Many Good Reasons to Invest in Hay Sheds
Hay sheds are an effective way to store your animal feed and a variety of other items that require a dry space. Here are our reasons for shortlisting an Australian-made hay shed.
Design the Shed You Need
The primary reason to opt for an Australian-made hay shed is that you can create the design your farm needs.
Australian hay sheds are usually created with three closed sides and one much larger open side.
Creating a hay shed with large open access ensures that you can easily store hay, fodder bales and even machinery.
With two open gables, it’s considerably easier to load and unload hay bales into the shed and makes it possible to access from both sides.
This design also ensures that you’re able to rotate your hay bales so that the ones at the back don’t deteriorate and become harmful to the new bales.
Some of the other ways that you can customise your hay shed to match the unique needs of your property include the following:
- Create access doors
- Install windows if you want to convert a part of the shed into a workshop
- Include sliding doors
- Add fibreglass skylights
- Include concrete flooring or use the natural floor
- Add insulation
- Paint using COLOURBOND cladding to match the rest of your décor design
2. Hay Sheds are Functional and Versatile
A huge attraction to the modern Australian shed design is that it’s highly versatile. You can store anything from hay and fodder bales to large machinery and everything in between.
With various customizable features, you can easily design the space you need to accommodate your storage needs.
A few of the common hay shed designs to consider include the following:
- Roof-only hay shed, which is similar to a carport (keep in mind that this space won’t protect your hay effectively)
- Open front hay shed where the front is open
- Roof-only hay shed, which is similar to a carport (keep in mind that this space won’t protect your hay effectively)
- Hybrid hay shed, which you design based on your needs
3. Provides Protection Against the Elements
The Australian climate can do a serious number on a shed that isn’t made of the most durable materials.
Therefore, it’s essential to choose a hay shed design that can protect your contents from damage and ruin. Fortunately, Australian-made sheds are made with all these factors in mind.
Shed walls are made from superior quality galvanised RHS steel, which means that your shed will be durable enough to last a lifetime.
Since this type of steel also boasts a category 2 wind rating, you’ll have added support if you live in a cyclone or windstorm-prone area.
The trick here is to build your shed facing away from the main wind direction.
Additionally, this strong design will also keep your hay bales more secure. Hay bales don’t always stay exactly where you put them.
Once stacked up, hay bales can start leaning on the shed walls. When this happens, traditional timber walls can get damaged.
Fortunately, galvanised steel can support the hay without hampering the integrity of the shed or the quality of the hay.
4. Cost-effective Installation
Installing a traditional shed structure using traditional timber or bricks can be quite costly.
Not only do you need to budget for the raw materials for the walls, but you also need to get additional supplies for the roof. In a modern shed design, there’s no need for this.
Fewer materials ensure lower installation costs. You can also start with a basic structure and extend it as your business needs grow.
When you need to expand your shed, you can add lean-tos and extra bays as needed.
If at some point you no longer need hay storage, doors can be added to the open sides to create a closed structure.
This means turning your shed into a closed storage room to securely store tools and small machinery is also a possibility.
By adding doors and insulation, you’ll be able to use it to house smaller animals. With the right adjustments, the possibilities are endless.
Final Thoughts
Every farm, small holding, or agricultural business should have a designated shed to keep hay and other animal feed dry and safe.
Depending on the design you opt for, you may be able to use your shed to store animals and even machinery.
Your farm will instantly become more organised once you install a quality Australian-made shed!
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