Steaming hay

[Stasha22]

Currently soak hay but YO has an issue with water useage so am thinking about steaming instead.

Does it do the same job as soaking? How do you do it? Is it as simple as just pouring boiling water into a bin with a lid?

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Won't remove nutrients like soaking, but does sort out dust spores.

Just put hay in dustbin, pour over a kettle of water (plus 2nd one if lots of hay). Put on lid a leave for at least 20mins (or till cold).

 

[Stasha22]

Sounds quite simple then.

Do horses like it steamed? Mine is incredibly fussy - will not touch dry hay and will only eat wet hay if it has been soaked for 10 mins, if I do it for any longer she will not touch it!

Guess I could just do one section and try it out.

 

[Bert&Maud]

I didn't have a spare dustbin so just put mine in a Hi-Fi bag with a kettleful of boiling water and rolled the top of the bag over. My horse loved it!

 

[Troggy]

This is how I do mine

Smells lovely when it's been steamed IMO.
I noticed in the new Robinson's catalogue you can get a hay steamer for £98

 

[Stasha22]

Good grief! I wont be buying that!

Can i just clarify, in very simple terms, all I need to do is put hay in a bin, pour a kettle of boiled water over it and then put the lid on for 20 mins?

Going to try it out this afternoon.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Mine prefers it steamed. She normally gets her hay dry, but I steam any bales she won't eat, as then she will!!! How mean am I!!

 

[checkmate1]

Ive been steaming my horses hay recently because weve had a few dusty bales (she usually has it dry), She Loves it!!!!!

 

[05kitty93]

The hay I bought last year seems to be very dusty! I currently soak my hay would steaming it do the same job even tho its very dusty?

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Yep

 

[brighteyes]

Do remember that the dust is actually fungal spores and as such are toxins. They'll remain in the hay if you steam it. Not sure if soaking washes them out. Be very wary of feeding very dusty hay..........

 

[piebaldsparkle]

I was under the impression soaking and steaming works by making the fungal spore swell, thus rendering them harmless.........

 

[Donkeymad]

Urgghhh...you are joking about the smell aren't you

There was a stall at BETA with a hay steamer working all day long, the smell was rank and most people left the area a.s.a.p

 

[Nosey]

No it does smell gorgeous - like freshly mown hay!! Don't let it sit for too long though!!

 

[PiaffeRM]

Havent read the other replies but, I would personally choose to steam over soaking as it retains all the goodness (unlike soaking). Its the same as all the TV ads selling veggies to go in the microwave, sealing in the goodness!

I used to have a big dustbin, with a lid and then would simply put a kettle full of boiling water over it and put the lid on....ta da!

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

You can pour a kettle of boiling water onto the top of hay in a duistbin & rplace the lid. You can also make your own steamer very cheaply. Just drill a hole near the base of a plastic dustbin & connect the tube from a wallpaper stripper to it. Turn on the stripper & it will feed a constant supply of steam into the bin....... alot cheaper than buying a hay steamer.

 

[slingo1uk]

Ive just made my own steamer and its brill my girls love steamed hay you can use a plastic dustbin or even better a large water butt and connect the hose off a wallpaper stripper to the bottom , its best to spray your hay nets first with the hose pipe ( dont know why) then stick them in for about 10 mins. the steam is about 100degrees which will kill off any fungal spores.
If you really want to spoil them you could add a little menthol crystalite ( drop them into the W/Stripper they disolve in water) Hey presto you get minty hay LOL

 

[brighteyes]

I thought it was mould - please correct me if I'm wrong, I often am!

And it's time you were Piebald-Sunblock

 

[petrescueuk]

If you have a horse with laminitis, is steaming hay better than soaking? What about haylage? If this is steamed or soaked, is it ok for laminitis?

Many thanks.

Wendy x

 

[michg]

I was going to get one of these but the people at Happy Horse were really rude so I have followed the advice of merlod above and made my own from a wheelie bin and a wallpaper stripper and it works brilliantly.

Why pay £ 600 for a steamer when you can get one for about £ 50 ? Thats got to be the biggest rip-off ever!!

 

[Denirosmum]

THank you so much, the happy horse guy here in Canada, in Ontario, was super super nice and friendly but I just can't afford it and I sooo want to start steaming the hay for my RAO/cpod horse.
Phillipa