Hay Steamer , can I ask the Audience please

[Dave282B]

As the title , are they gadgets or of any benefit , and if so what are the running costs like.

 

[antigone]

I have a Haygain HG one. I am very pleased with it. It saves loads of hassle and horse likes the steamed hay. It certainly helped my mares cough but not as much as living out 24/7 did. It only holds about 6Kg max so some may not find it big enough but you can do more than one steam a day (if you have time). When I need it I run it off a timer so hay is ready 1st thing. If not adequately protected the pipes will freeze in a cold winter and you must thaw before you use it. Not sure about running costs as I have not looked into this but it takes an hour to steam from cold and you are boiling about 3.5 litres of water for each steam. The next size up would be a much better option but the cost is very high. Overall I wouldn't be without it as it means I don't have to soak hay. I chose this one as the vet seemed to think it was the only one with any evidence to support claims of reduced dust, spores etc but the research was not independent.

 

[JennBags]

Hey Dave, I have a home made one that's brilliant, although we didn't make it, we bought it. I had to buy a new steamer for it last year, it's just a wallpaper steamer. I try and steam for about 40 minutes, the hay is lovely and palatable, Nelson won't eat soaked hay so it works for me. I don't know about running costs but I don't think they can be too much as you're just running a wallpaper steamer, and it saved on water and all that horrible soaking.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I've also got the HG one, the baby of the haygain range. I'm very pleased with it. IIRC we worked it out that it costs about 20p in electricity per I hour cycle.

I have 2/3 horses which mostly live out, and I find the HG one to be big enough for my needs. In awful winter weather when the neds had to be stabled full time for a few days, I ran it several times a day to keep them supplied with hay. It's much easier to steam hay than soak it in freezing conditions, assuming of course that you have access to mains electricity, and it smells yummy .

I'm just using up the last of my 2yo hay from the back of my barn, it had gone a bit dusty. It is completely refreshed after being steamed.

 

[LovesCobs]

I have the medium size haygain. It’s still going strong after over 5 years. I put a timer on the plug. Highly recommend them

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I can't afford a Haygain steamer so I made my own & it was very easy. I was given a large IBC container, the one that comes in a galvanised cage & I turned that into a steamer. I cut a hinged hole in the top & put a couple of plastic bread trays in the bottom that hold the hay off the bottom & allow the steam to come from under them. I then run the pipe from a professional quality wallpaper steamer in through the bottom tap & fastened the steamer head to it on the inside. I load my various hay nets into the steamer, close the lid, throw an old rug over the top to keep all the steam in & turn it on. The steamer holds up to 7.5 litres & runs for up to 90 minutes. I steam for about 45 mins- 60 mins & it does a really great job.

I bought the steamer used off Ebay for about £50, I've tried domestic steamers but they don't last too well. The Pro steamer is used once a dau throughout the spring & summer & twice a day in Autumn & Winter. It's never skipped a beat!