Jump to content

Hayloft: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
+* Hay rake, +file
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Unreferenced stub|auto=yes|date=December 2009}}
{{Unreferenced stub|auto=yes|date=December 2009}}
[[File:Chereshovitsa-hayloft.jpg|thumb|right|240px|The hayloft of the village Chereshovitsa, [[Bulgaria]]]]
[[File:Chereshovitsa-hayloft.jpg|thumb|right|240px|The hayloft of the village Chereshovitsa, [[Bulgaria]]]]
A '''hayloft''' is a space above a [[barn]], [[stable]] or [[cow-shed]], traditionally used for storage of [[hay]] or other [[fodder]] for the animals below. Haylofts were used mainly before the widespread use of [[Baler|hay bale]]s, which allow simpler handling of bulk hay.
A '''hayloft''' is a space above a [[barn]], [[stable]] or [[cow-shed]], traditionally used for storage of [[hay]] or other [[fodder]] for the animals below. Haylofts were used mainly before the widespread use of [[Baler|hay bale]]s, which allow simpler handling of bulk hay. Another name for a hayloft is a mow.


The hayloft was filled with loose hay from the top of a [[wagon]] thrown up through a large door, usually some {{Convert|3|m|sigfig=1}} or more above the ground, often in the [[gable]] end of the building. Cut in the floor of the hayloft were 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.
The hayloft was filled with loose hay from the top of a [[wagon]] thrown up through a large door, usually some {{Convert|3|m|sigfig=1}} or more above the ground, often in the [[gable]] end of the building. Cut in the floor of the hayloft were 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.

Revision as of 13:53, 24 May 2011

The hayloft of the village Chereshovitsa, Bulgaria

A hayloft is a space above a barn, stable or cow-shed, traditionally used for storage of hay or other fodder for the animals below. Haylofts were used mainly before the widespread use of hay bales, which allow simpler handling of bulk hay. Another name for a hayloft is a mow.

The hayloft was filled with loose hay from the top of a wagon thrown up through a large door, usually some 3 metres (10 ft) or more above the ground, often in the gable end of the building. Cut in the floor of the hayloft were 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.

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 larger bales of hay (or silage) which must be handled by machinery, and these are normally stored in more open buildings or outside.

See also