What do you use to steam hay?

Fruitcake

Fruitcake

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Horse has had some issues with breathing this summer. (Vet thinks pollen related). Am thinking about the winter when he's on hay and would like to steam it to be safe.

Only issue is that he lives out with 2 others so it's going to be a lot of hay to steam in one go. I've heard that a wheelie bin and wallpaper steamer can work well. Whatever method I use, I'm going to have to transport it from house / yard where kettle and electricity is to field about 50-100 yards away. Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.
 
You'd be better of with a bath that drains and allows you to soak it or at least dunk it. A wheelie bin method will take a long time to steam enough for three horses.
 
Wheelie bin is a good way with wall paper steamer if you don't have a massive amount of hay to steam. I used to steam 14 lbs
but anything other than that would require two sessions I think
 
The water from a kettle will cool.in seconds. You need to steam for longer to have any effect. I tried it and it rubbish, especially in colder weather. Built a steamer from a wheelie bin and wallpaper steamer and it was cracking. Costs peanuts if your council will let you have one with a broken handle.
 
I have a very large plastic water tank with a large piece of plastic for a lid. Drilled a hole about an inch from the bottom and put the hose from the wall paper steamer through it. Four bricks at the bottom with a metal grid on top. Hay shaken up and put onto grid, lid closed and held down with breeze blocks. Steamer filled with water and put on a plug timer to run for 45 minutes.
 
eggs said:
I have a very large plastic water tank with a large piece of plastic for a lid. Drilled a hole about an inch from the bottom and put the hose from the wall paper steamer through it. Four bricks at the bottom with a metal grid on top. Hay shaken up and put onto grid, lid closed and held down with breeze blocks. Steamer filled with water and put on a plug timer to run for 45 minutes.
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Discarded freezer basket at the bottom used upside down makes a great rack.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'm using the bin and kettle method for the small amount I need to steam at the moment and it seems to be working fine but it's only really half a slice at a time for a net while he's in the trailer going a couple of miles.

Nicnac said:
Haygain is the best way but it's expensive.

This is a great alternative to ensure it is properly steamed http://e-venting.co.uk/2015/01/homemade-hay-steamer-is-this-the-ideal-set-up/
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Had a look at this. Like the idea of the 'wand' shoved down the centre of the hay to steam from the inside out. OH thinks he could maybe adapt this somehow. Am thinking maybe about a huge sack. I only tend to put out 6-8 slices at a time so would have hoped I'd fit that in a wheelie bin. Is my sense of shape and space really bad?
 
Fairynuff said:
A bin with a lid and a kettle of boiling water. Cheap and very efficient :)
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:D Exactly what I use for my boy when he is in...but when he's out he will have to rely on the rainfall to soak his hay naturally as he is in a large field with others and YO puts a large bale in as needed. Last year they didn't even get hay as the weather was so mild and the grass just about lasted...he just had a small feed with supplements.
 
I'd just add that with the kettle & bin method, I use a home made (from an old shower curtain!) waterproof, elasticated feedbowl/bin cover as it is a tight fit and keeps the steam in. I leave the net in for as long as I can!
 
As said above a kettle just doesn't work. You need continual steam and for the centre of the net to reach 90 degrees which in a hay gain small whole bale steamer takes about 60 minutes continual boiling in the steam unit. This got through about 1.5 buckets of water.
 
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