Hello all, I'm looking for suggestions on round bale storage. What works, what doesn't. I am thinking of stacking them on pallets and covering with a tarp with rope ridge to maintain air circulation. Some say just leave them exposed but I have concern for nutritional content that way. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

On pallets , single stacked, is a good idea. Bales still need to breathe after harvest on all sides. They shouldn't be touching each other , any contact area stays wet longer after rain or snow. Stacking on top of each other, as one sees it sometimes, if outside, is not advisable. Too many contact areas where moisture can linger. The run-off from the top bales can accumulate on the lower ones .

This is something that works well for me. I use plastic pallets that are available at most small pallet rebuilders because they for the most part, are not standard sizes. The plastic ones don't rot and no nails. I stack the bales two on the bottom and one on the top and cover with low cost green tarps from Harbor Freight that are 19.5 X50 ft. and tied down with plastic baler twine using a slip knot that can be tightened after the bales settle. With 5ft. bales, the tarp covers all but 1.5 ft. at the bottom edges allowing some air. We make these stacks about 150 ft. long starting on the west end moving eastward to protect from wind damage. We have used this method for the last ten years and it works well in southern Ohio. We don't stack bales that are very damp until they have dried, so you can pack them tight. They come out about as good as they went in, and feed well. We are pleased with the results of this and the cost is about $2.00 bale.

A lot of farmers use old truck tires instead of pallet as driving on them when they freeze down does not damage tractor or "pallet".

The old tires is a good idea. I've discovered lot's of different opinions on this subject. I will try stacking 2 courses high and covering with a tarp coming off one side of the barn down to the ground. Tires below and ropes to keep the tarp off the hay should put me in good shape. Thanks for the thoughts...
Mike