Haystack
The haystack is a type of construction which is a feature typical of the calid European countries. It consists of a central wooden pole with stacked hay layers around it, forming a heap for later transfer to the barn.
A small wall used to be build around the haystack to prevent the cattle approaching it to eat the hay. At present, with the use of machinery, such storage has been replaced by "bales" of straw.
Types
Haystacks, first used for loose hay, probably since the beginnings of livestock farming in the Neolithic period, were used from the 1860s for sheaves of cereals and then for low-density bales of hay or straw.- the small haystacks used for drying loose hay in the meadow. After drying, they can be used on site or brought back to the farm. The sheaves of grain in haystacks also continued to dry before being transported to the farm;
- the large haystacks which serve as final storage for hay and straw and storage before threshing for sheaves of cereals, most often near the farm but not too close to the buildings.
- intermediate types are possible.
Description
The loose hay was transported to a designated area for collection -usually a slightly raised area to allow the water to be drained-, where the haystack was to be formed. The haystack was made waterproof by compressing the hay under its own weight and with the heat released by the residual moisture helping the compression forces. The cell was surrounded by a fence to separate it from the rest of the field. When needed, the haystack was opened with the help of a knife and every day part of hay was used to feed the animals. Depending on the area, the haystack could be supported on an internal structure having a waterproof cover that could be lowered as hay retreated.Haystacks are also sometimes called haycocks; among some users this term refers more specifically to small piles of cut-and-gathered hay awaiting stacking into larger stacks. The words are usually styled as solid compounds, but not always. Haystacks are also sometimes called stooks, shocks, or ricks.
Loose stacks are built to prevent the accumulation of moisture and promote drying or curing. In some places, this is accomplished by constructing stacks with a conical or ridged top. The exterior may look gray on the surface after weathering, but the inner hay retains traces of its fresh-cut aroma and maintains a faded green tint. They can be covered with thatch, or kept within a protective structure. One such structure is a moveable roof supported by four posts, historically called a Dutch roof, hay barrack, or hay cap. Haystacks may also be built on top of a foundation laid on the ground to reduce spoilage, in some places made of wood or brush. In other areas, hay is stacked loose, built around a central pole, a tree, or within an area of three or four poles to add stability to the stack.
Haystacks for drying
After collection, the hay is gathered into small haystacks, on fairly raised areas to avoid stagnant water, possibly on old hay or straw to prevent mold. These areas may include a central wooden pole around which the hay is placed in tiles in successive rings o protect against the rain.In some regions with rainy climates, the hay was placed on a wooden base and a hat was added to form a roof of adjustable height which was lowered as it was used. This principle was modernized in the 1970s with the hay tower, without success.
Large haystacks
They are used for permanent outdoor storage, near the farm. They are erected according to the same principle : successive beds tiling and ending with the conical cap.When the hay is dry, a fence may be built to enclose the haystack and prevent roaming animals from eating it, or animals may feed directly from a field-constructed stack as part of their winter feeding.