Home made hay steamers - a quick question (sorry!)

[now_loves_mares]

I have read lots of posts on here about home made hay steamers. I remembered that my mum still had my wallpaper stripper, so I am half way there already! I was about to go on freecycle to hunt for a dustbin or waterbutt; but had a thought first. (I'm Scottish, so therefore loathe to spend any money if I can avoid it

)

I feed haylage out of the XL trugs. Do you think it would work just putting a board over the top with a hole in it for the steamer tube? Would it matter if the trug warmed up a bit before it went in the stable? I can't really think what problems this could cause, but thought I'd ask first!

 

[kerilli]

they'd probably collapse tbh. i tried using a black dustbin and it sort-of melted/collapsed from the heat of the steam after about 4 days. also you need the top sealed flat so that the steam doesn't escape, so you'd have to cut the handles off maybe, or fit lid tightly inside.
must admit, my wallpaper steamer broke (horse managed to knock it and break nozzle bit off), i bought another one which kept tripping the whole circuit board in the stables so i took it back, and i've now resorted to 2 consecutive kettles of boiling water poured over 3 flaps of hay at a time in metal dustbin, and i actually think it steams it better than the wallpaper steamer did... the hay is definitely wetter. metal dustbin is best imho. try the tubtrug but don't be surprised if it doesn't do it much good!

 

[now_loves_mares]

What, spend money

Yes it probably would just collapse, especially if a proper dustbin does. Metal one sounds like the way forward, I'll try freecycle first though

Thanks!

 

[Baileyhoss]

wheelie bins are perfect for the job. Sourcing them for free is normally quite easy, especially if your council distributes them as readily as ours. We also get the brown ones for garden waste, which a lot of people dont use.

 

[surreyhorsechick]

We found that the 'wallpaper stripper' method shorted out our circuits too so have resorted to the good old kettle again! Works a treat!!

 

[Birker2020]

Just use a thick plastic bag (like the ones shavings come in) or a feed bag. Put said hay inside, pour contents of a boiling kettle on top and seal bag with bailing twine - leave for 20 mins and you are done. You don't have to make anything very glamourous to get steamed hay, it can be as easy or a simple as you want to make it.