A hayloft is a space above a barn,

stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

or cow-shed, traditionally used for storage of hay or other

fodder Fodder (), also called provender (), is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food given to the animals (includin ...

for the animals below. Haylofts were used mainly before the widespread use of very large hay bales, which allow simpler handling of bulk hay. The hayloft is filled with loose hay from the top of a wagon, thrown up through a large door, usually some or more above the ground, often in the

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

end of the building. Some haylofts have slots or holes (sometimes with hatches), each above a hay-rack or manger in the animal housing below. The hay could easily be dropped through the holes to feed the animals. Another method of using a hayloft is to create small bundles of hay (1–4 cubic feet), then hoist them up using a

block and tackle A block and tackle or only tackle is a system of two or more pulleys with a rope or cable threaded between them, usually used to lift heavy loads. The pulleys are assembled to form blocks and then blocks are paired so that one is fixed and on ...

—in this case a hay elevator to the room. This allows for more efficiency when moving hay around. The difference between a hayloft and a mow is significant. A mow is exposed to the weather, only elevated on a small platform off the ground. This is often used for drying hay. A hayloft is used for more permanent storage of hay. It is sheltered from the weather and where a modern-day

attic An attic (sometimes referred to as a ''loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...

would be. A struggle in any type of keeping hay is that it must be totally dry. Otherwise, when piled up in a hayloft, it will start to compost. The insulation provided by the other hay ensures that

thermophilic A thermophile is an organism—a type of extremophile—that thrives at relatively high temperatures, between . Many thermophiles are archaea, though they can be bacteria or fungi. Thermophilic eubacteria are suggested to have been among the earl ...

bacteria involved in the decomposition will be at their ideal temperature, thus turning the good hay into the dirt. That is also why farmers are so determined to keep hay off the ground since it would absorb moisture. Haylofts in old buildings are now often used for other storage or have been converted into habitable rooms. However, farms that use small square hay bales may still use the hayloft for storage of hay. Many farmers now use bales of hay so large they must be handled by machinery, and these are normally stored in more open buildings or outside. Others have forgone hay in favor of grain or

silage Silage () is a type of fodder made from green foliage crops which have been preserved by fermentation to the point of acidification. It can be fed to cattle, sheep and other such ruminants ( cud-chewing animals). The fermentation and storage ...

References

External links

{{Commonscat-inline, Hay lofts Agricultural buildings

See also

References

External links