A system for drying a hay bale to a preselected moisture content including an air intake subassembly for providing treated air at a predetermined flow rate and a predetermined pressure with preselected characteristics, a lower subassembly for locating the hay bale in a predetermined position therein, and an upper subassembly. The upper subassembly includes a number of rods, each rod including a number of apertures to permit radial flow outwardly from the bore, and a manifold for directing the treated air into the first ends of the rods. When the rods are positioned in the hay bale, the treated air flows into the rods at the predetermined flow rate of approximately 2500 cfm, the predetermined pressure of approximately 3 psig, and the preselected characteristics of a humidity of at most approximately 50 percent and a maximum temperature of approximately 50°C.
