Hay soaking bins

[chocolategirl]

Hi all, only 2 weeks in to a minimum 15 week box rest period, and my back is already gone from hauling the nets out of the bin? I’ve looked on line at purpose made hay soakers, but there all so expensive. Can anyone recommend a large container that will hold 2 good size nets, with a drain system, that doesn’t cost a fortune please??

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I soak hay every day and use the large round cattle lick tubs with smaller Shires 4kg nets. Quicker to fill, just tip the water out and stack the nets on the upside down tub to drain.

 

[ycbm]

An old bath, available free from a bathroom fitter.

Tie a long string to the plug and drain by pulling it out.
.

 

[chocolategirl]

An old bath, available free from a bathroom fitter.

Tie a long string to the plug and drain by pulling it out.
.

Great idea thanks!

 

[Carrottom]

If you can position the bath under a rail you can use that like a pulley to lift the nets to drain.

 

[The Jokers Girl]

Use a water butt. I have done this for years and it's made hay soaking so easy. I put a small upturned bucket in bottom so hay is above the water line when drained, or you could use a garden sieve.
Fill, soak, drain by turning the tap and 20 mins later hay is not much different in weight to unsoaked.

I split my hay over s couple of nets so no one net weighs more than 3kgs. Much easier to lift 2 separate 3kg nets than one massive 6kg one

 

[chaps89]

If you can position the bath under a rail you can use that like a pulley to lift the nets to drain.

Or if no rail, a tie ring attached to the wall at the right height does the job too

 

[chocolategirl]

Use a water butt. I have done this for years and it's made hay soaking so easy. I put a small upturned bucket in bottom so hay is above the water line when drained, or you could use a garden sieve.
Fill, soak, drain by turning the tap and 20 mins later hay is not much different in weight to unsoaked.

I split my hay over s couple of nets so no one net weighs more than 3kgs. Much easier to lift 2 separate 3kg nets than one massive 6kg one

Thanks, I looked at these, just was t sure how strong they’d be?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174348578580

 

[The Jokers Girl]

Thanks, I looked at these, just was t sure how strong they’d be?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174348578580

Those ones will be spot on for soaking and you can get loads of water in to get maximum sugar out too. The wider topped ones like those are much better as the hay doesn't get stuck in the opening ?

 

[Midlifecrisis]

I use bins with lids that clip on and drill holes in the lid then lay them on their sides/lid to drain before hanging up.

 

[TPO]

The expensive option but we first got Haycubes solely for soaking hay. So while one was in use the other was soaking

No more lugging heavy wet nets about.

Every horse has one now ans theyve more than paid for themselves over the years

 

[HashRouge]

An old bath, available free from a bathroom fitter.

Tie a long string to the plug and drain by pulling it out.
.

I was going to suggest this, it's what we used on a yard a few years ago. They had even set it up under the drain pipe so it caught rain water. It was brilliant! We did need to weigh the nets down with bricks, but otherwise it was perfect.

 

[Red-1]

Thanks, I looked at these, just was t sure how strong they’d be?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174348578580

These are what I have been using over the winter, They have lasted even though they didn't look the strongest. They are quite tall once on the plinths tho.

 

[sport horse]

Big plastic wheel barrow - buy tap and drill hole at lowest point of barrow pan and fit tap in. Soak hay, whel barrow to drain turn ontap and lt water drain straight down drain. Wheel barrow to stable

 

[irishdraft]

I use an old bath

 

[millikins]

I have no idea if you can still get them but I have an old laundry tub which I found discarded in the garden of a hospital I worked at. It's about 2/3 size of an oil drum, plastic, on a waist high stand with a tap underneath.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hi all, only 2 weeks in to a minimum 15 week box rest period, and my back is already gone from hauling the nets out of the bin? I’ve looked on line at purpose made hay soakers, but there all so expensive. Can anyone recommend a large container that will hold 2 good size nets, with a drain system, that doesn’t cost a fortune please??

I like soaking in these then put in hay net https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284245288200?hash=item422e56e508:g:2rUAAOSwZjVgaaP~

 

[Pinkvboots]

Water butt from B & M £22 has a drain tap at the bottom I can fit 6 small haynets in it, you can't overfill the nets as the gap at the top is narrow so you can't get them out if you do, but you get used to how much to put in and I struggle with huge heavy nets with my back so it's ideal for me, I also have a grey hay soaker and I can fit 2 large nets in that but that was £55 so not as cheap.

 

[Pinkvboots]

Thanks, I looked at these, just was t sure how strong they’d be?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174348578580

I use similar to them but don't bother with the stand as you will need to stand on something to get the nets out.

 

[supagran]

I use the big blue barrels, cut I half, tap as low as i could get it on the side. holes drilled at the top and strong baler string threaded through. soak hay, let it drain and tip barrel over, drag to stable. Or because I have a greedy mare, put the hay in small nets, 4 of them, and then after the soaking, draining routine dragging to the stable in the barrel lift the nets up to the carabiner I’ve attached to the hay ring. Much easier on my (aging) back..
and much cheapness, barrels were free, tap cost me £3 so happy days!

 

[holeymoley]

I have a haycube. But i dont use it as intended as it ends up scummy and needing properly scrubbed out every few days if i soaked in it. I just use an old feed bin then tip it over and pull the net out. Then empty into the haycube. They’re only about £7/8 and if you split your haynets they fit nicely and are not as heavy.
There’s also a proper hay bin with tap thats around £40 but I can’t remember the name of it for the life of me.

 

[brighteyes]

I use the big blue barrels, cut I half, tap as low as i could get it on the side. holes drilled at the top and strong baler string threaded through. soak hay, let it drain and tip barrel over, drag to stable. Or because I have a greedy mare, put the hay in small nets, 4 of them, and then after the soaking, draining routine dragging to the stable in the barrel lift the nets up to the carabiner I’ve attached to the hay ring. Much easier on my (aging) back..
and much cheapness, barrels were free, tap cost me £3 so happy days!

Decapitated blue barrels here, also. My drain tap is a 1/4 turn 1" ball valve and I use a length of guttering to empty directly to drain. I have a block and tackle double pulley to the beam above the tub and a cleat hook for holding it up as it drains. The garden sieve gets manky so just haul them out with the pulley.