Agriculture, Soil, Fertilizer & Farm Operations worked example

Hay Bale Storage with hay bales to store of 880 bales: a worked example

Push hay bales to store up to 880 bales and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use it to size barn, shed, tarp, or outdoor storage space before hay is delivered or baled.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Hay bales to store: 880 bales (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 350)
  • Volume per bale: 45 cu ft / bale (unchanged)
  • Stacking density factor: 1 x (unchanged)
  • Aisle and ventilation allowance: 1.1 x (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Hay storage volume = bales x bale volume x stacking factor x allowance) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 43,560 cu ft for hay storage volume required, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 39,600 value for stacked hay volume.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1.1 x for aisle and ventilation allowance.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 39,600 value for total bale volume.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where hay bales to store sits at 350 bales and the headline result is 17,325 cu ft, this scenario comes in 151% above the baseline at 43,560 cu ft.
  • It computes the total storage volume in cubic feet needed for a set of hay bales, accounting for stacking tightness and an aisle and ventilation buffer. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Hay storage volume required: 43,560 cu ft (headline result)
  • Stacked hay volume: 39,600 value
  • Aisle and ventilation allowance: 1.1 x
  • Total bale volume: 39,600 value

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Hay Bale Storage calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.