Can Hayledge be steamed or soaked??

[spottydottypony]

My friend on the yard suggested i soak my hayledge for my horse to reeduce sugar content. I have never heared of this ever and wondered could you do this. We have run out of hay in my area and have resorted to hayledge for a short time. My fatties could really do with having hay

 

[NicoleS_007]

Yes you can soak it If im soaking i would soak it for 12hrs then pour the icky (rather smelly) water out and wash with clean water.

ETS - dpnt know about steaming though!!

 

[chestnut cob]

I have soaked haylage in the past. If I have time I usually soak for an hour or two while I'm at the yard, drain and rinse, then soak in fresh water overnight.

 

[orangepony]

I have fed my horses steamed haylage which they foound very palatable as part of a a dissertation study using haygain steamers. The steamers kill all the mould spores etc and the haylage smells super fresh afterwards! Not sure on how much of the nutrients it leaches (if any) as this wasn't my dissertation, but the orangepony ate the haylage with gusto and he can be a bit of a finicky feeder during winter.

Not sure I would be keen on soaking haylage, the fermentation that occurs in the wrapping would rather off-put me dunking said fermented and damp spores into water for 12 hours. If you must soak I would only suggest 20 mins or so; any longer and the haylage would be simply steeping in the (very smelly!) effluent. Not the tastiest thing for your horse!

 

[cm2581]

I was soaking haylage for 24 hrs with a water change and an end rinse and the horse hoovered it. Said horse would probably hoover a pile of dead wood tho.....