steamers?

Stinkbomb

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Saw this on the Robinsons web page. I presume its instead of soaking hay to get rid of the dust. Has anyone used one and do they work? Anyone know how long after steaming can you feed the hay i.e how long does the hay last, does it go off if not fed within a certain length of time?? What does steaming actually do?

hay steamer
 
A steamer will do the same as soaking i presume.

TBH i think if you bought a wallpaper steamer and took the flat head off, drilled a hole in the side of a sturdy bin, inserted the nozzle, put hay in the bin, put the lid on and turned the steamer on it'd do the same job for 1/4 of the price.
 
Haven't used one of those, but do steam my hay in a plastic bin with the aid of 2 kettles!
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Steaming swells dust spores (like soaking) but retains all the nutrients in the hay (unlike soaking). Mine eat straight away, but I don't know how long you can leave the hay before feeding.
 
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That's a really clever idea, strippers are only 20 quid and if it don't work you can always strip paper. Got any more good tips?

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um, no ! I just amazed myself with that one lol. I think my parents have a paper steamer they don't use in the winter....
 
I steam Little Black One's hay in winter because:

a) It retains more of the nutrients than soaking & as LBO is old & smelly, he needs all the nutrients he can get! lol
(He has to have something doing with his hay as he has breathing/allergy problems!)

b) He likes it! What could be nicer on a cold winter's evening than a lovely pile of warm, sweet-smelling (smells yummy!) steamed hay? (No, he's not spoilt - what a ridiculous idea!
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We don't use a fancy steamer, just a plastic dustbin with a tight-fitting lid & boiling water from the kettle!
He usually has it as soon as it has cooled down enough for him & doesn't go 'off' or anything, as LBO is a very slow & fussy eater & he wouldn't touch it if it was at less than perfect!
(He always tells me when it's time to get a new haylage bale for example, even though it may still look & smell quite OK to me! lol)
 
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