Soaking hay in the spring/summer

[AmeliaA]

Over the winter and when it’s cool enough I soak my nets for 24hours but now it’s getting hot that will be too long as they’ll ferment.

Would soaking for 3 hours in 18+ weather strip and equivalent amount of sugar from the hay?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My vet has always said to me it's unnecessary to soak over night anyway he says an hour is more than sufficient especially if you rinse it, I don't soak it anymore but none of my horses would eat it if it was soaked for longer than an hour.

I definitely wouldn't leave it for hours in the summer it must be horrible.

 

[holeymoley]

It really depends on the analytical content of your hay before you soak it. Something with hardly anything in it will be fine in 1 hour. Something much higher will need a few hours but, the water should be changed periodically. Otherwise it's sat in stagnant water. I'm lucky enough that 1 hour is enough for mine and I can soak in the shade. I definitely wouldn't be leaving to soak and stew in the sun.

 

[marmalade76]

Making sure whatever you're soaking it in is in the shade helps

 

[AmeliaA]

It really depends on the analytical content of your hay before you soak it. Something with hardly anything in it will be fine in 1 hour. Something much higher will need a few hours but, the water should be changed periodically. Otherwise it's sat in stagnant water. I'm lucky enough that 1 hour is enough for mine and I can soak in the shade. I definitely wouldn't be leaving to soak and stew in the sun.

We’ve never had it tested but it is more than likely VERY high in sugar as it’s rye. Luckily where we soak it’s in the shade most of the day and just in the sun for an hour or 2 mid afternoon. Hopefully if I put in in at 1 it’ll be ok until 4:30 when I finish work. Unfortunately can’t change water but do rinse thoroughly.

 

[PurBee]

Studies have shown soaking benefits are negligible after 1 hr if enough water is used, and more likely to aid microbial growth if soaked overnight.
The volume of water used to soak with is KEY to getting more WSC’s (sugars) out faster - more water used= the faster the WSC’s are leached-out the hay:

The best way to soak hay — Safergrass

Katy Watts discusses some new literature on hay soaking and provides suggestions on how to do a better job of soaking sugar out of hay.

www.safergrass.org

I used to use a big water butt-type barrel, with the top cut off to give me a big, wide access to dunking and pulling hay out. I’d fill about 3/4 full, @150ltrs cold water, and soak 20kg’s hay in nets, weighted down with a large rock on top to weigh the hay down into the water for about an hour. I’d agitate the nets, pushing and pulling each one just before lifting them out to drain. The water was always a deep reddish colour. If the weather was warm, the nets would be left in the cool shade.

 

[AmeliaA]

T

Studies have shown soaking benefits are negligible after 1 hr if enough water is used, and more likely to aid microbial growth if soaked overnight.
The volume of water used to soak with is KEY to getting more WSC’s (sugars) out faster - more water used= the faster the WSC’s are leached-out the hay:

The best way to soak hay — Safergrass

Katy Watts discusses some new literature on hay soaking and provides suggestions on how to do a better job of soaking sugar out of hay.

www.safergrass.org

I used to use a big water butt-type barrel, with the top cut off to give me a big, wide access to dunking and pulling hay out. I’d fill about 3/4 full, @150ltrs cold water, and soak 20kg’s hay in nets, weighted down with a large rock on top to weigh the hay down into the water for about an hour. I’d agitate the nets, pushing and pulling each one just before lifting them out to drain. The water was always a deep reddish colour. If the weather was warm, the nets would be left in the cool shade.

Thank you! Interesting read - we use around 110/100 litres per 3.5kg of hay and then rinse in the same amount. Unfortunately can’t change the water during the day due to work and we use collected rain water to soak so I think we would go through it too quick!

 

[Btomkins]

I tend to soak overnight when it’s cooler then replace all the water with fresh cold stuff from the tap in the morning and make sure it’s in the shade. Then rinse again for a few minutes with cold water before hanging to drain. I don’t like the idea of them eating unrinsed warm fermenting hay.

 

[AmeliaA]

I tend to soak overnight when it’s cooler then replace all the water with fresh cold stuff from the tap in the morning and make sure it’s in the shade. Then rinse again for a few minutes with cold water before hanging to drain. I don’t like the idea of them eating unrinsed warm fermenting hay.

Agreed - always rinse in the same amount of water I soaked in and toss if it’s warm in the middle and smells

 

[Snow Falcon]

A vet mentionned to me that studies were being undertaken to see whether it was more benefical to use hot water for a shorter time which dissolves the sugars faster than soaking in cold water which would make more sense.