Hay soaking for dust

[ktj1891]

How long do you soak for without taking goodness out, how do you do it and what tools/equipment do you use?

Thankies

 

[Cadburys_addict]

I just use a big tub to completely submerge the hay in water for about 30 mins.....my boy doesn't cough with that length of soaking and he has copd....hope that helps...

 

[Slightly Foxed]

How long do you soak for without taking goodness out, how do you do it and what tools/equipment do you use?

Thankies

10 minutes should get rid of dust depending on how large your hay net is. You may be better off steaming in a closed container with a couple of kettles of boiling water, then leaving it for half an hour

 

[Honey08]

I actually find that, with my mare that coughs on dry hay, a bucket of water poured over the hay is enough to stop her coughing.

 

[ktj1891]

Okay brill so not that much time at all really. Just a brief soak.

 

[swampdonkey]

There's a few of us on our yard that do this for our horses and we just hold the hose on the net for 5 mins then leave tied up to drain. Seems to do the job, not sure what we'll do in the winter, I'll probably switch to haylege.

 

[ktj1891]

So maybe if I just hang net up and hose it then leave to soak for 10 mins this should suffice for getting rid of dust?

 

[JohnParfit]

Wickes 113 litre bucket is excellent for soaking. Takes exactly half a bale or you can put a filled haynet in it.

 

[vam]

Im currently doing this as im feeding hay in a haynet while he is on box rest. I have got a couple of big trugs and just poor 2 buckets of water on them, leave for about 5 mins (normally soaking while i fill up the buckets) then turn upside down to drain. They always come out wet through and no dust but not properly soaked as he wont eat them.
Will go back to using his dry hay in his haybar when he is allowed out again.

 

[maxine1985]

Just dunking will do quite abit but ideally 15/20 mins, this will be enough for the spores to swell and the horse swallow the dust spores not inhale them (this is what causes the coughing) excessive soaking isn't needed