Does steaming hay make it more palatable?

Greater Palatability

Research shows that steamed hay is more palatable than soaked hay.

Does steaming hay soften it?

Soaking and steaming may help to soften its structure a bit too which may also improve its palatability. Wrapped forages should not be soaked or steamed. In summary, the benefits of soaking hay can be for the respiratory system or to reduce its sugar content.

What are the benefits of steaming hay?

Steaming hay kills live mold and increases DMI of low mold hay, compared to soaking. We don't know if there's a benefit to feeding dead versus alive but wet moldy hay to horses. Regardless, neither soaking or steaming should replace the main goal of feeding hay with low mold and dust content.

Is steaming hay better than soaking?

However, steaming is beneficial for the hygienic quality of the hay and whereas soaking increases the bacterial presence in hay, steaming reduced bacteria numbers by 98%. So whilst steaming hay for horses deals with the respiratory challenges, it is still recommended to soak hay to remove WSC.

Does steaming hay work?

Steamed hay reduces the particles in the hay by 99%. The key difference being that steaming destroys the particles whereas soaking just makes them less likely to be inhaled. Where steaming hay reduces the bacteria content, studies have found that soaking hay for just 10 minutes can increase bacteria by 150%.

Haygain 5 reasons to steam hay

How long should hay be steamed for?

Steaming hay is so much quicker than waiting hours for hay to soak. Most steamers steam hay in around 30 mins. It's important to note that hay that has been pulled apart or shaken out will steam much more quickly.

Does steaming hay reduce the sugar content?

Steaming and soaking hay both reduce the number of particulates that your horse can breathe in and can reduce the “sugar” levels in the hay.

Is steamed hay good for horses?

In comparison, steaming hay offers many benefits for the horse, as studies show that all respirable particles are removed and nutrients aren't leached. Using a Haygain steamer kills all of the fungi and yeast and 98.84% of the bacteria found in the hay thanks to its unique manifold system.

Are hay steamers expensive to run?

Our hay steamer has a 2.3kw heating element so costs around 30p an hour to run. Check your bill for rates in your area but steaming is cheaper than using gallons of water. The hay steamer is a smartly branded wheelie bin available in 3 sizes. It's easy to move around and the steam generator packs neatly away inside.

Does steaming hay reduce potassium?

Potassium levels decreased by 41% in the 30-minute soaked hay. Soaked hay had a relative doubling of sodium whereas steamed and dry hay did not. Steamed hay did not experience these mineral changes, and in fact, had increased potassium and no change in sodium.

How do you reduce sugar in hay?

Soak hay for 30 to 60 minutes to reduce the sugar it contains. Don't soak the hay longer or you'll risk leaching beneficial nutrients. Soaking hay to remove sugars that can exacerbate metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance takes more time.

What does soaking hay do for horses?

Why soak hay? Soaking hay in water is a common way to care for horses diagnosed with one of the following. Soaking hay for 15 to 60 minutes in water reduces water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), potassium (K) and dust.

How much electricity does a wallpaper steamer use?

Wallpaper steamers have been more popular in countries, such as the UK or Europe, using 230 V domestic electricity. This provides around 3 kW of steam generating capacity from all sockets around the house.

Does soaking hay remove sugar?

If the hay started out with 14% NSC, after soaking the concentration would be below the 12% recommended level for feeding horses with laminitis. In addition to removing sugars, soaking also reduces some minerals. Crude protein, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium concentrations all decrease with soaking.

Will horses eat soaked hay?

Feeding soaked hay. Soaking hay in cold water for about 60 minutes or hot water for about 30 minutes will remove a considerable percentage of the water-soluble carbohydrates, making the hay more suitable for horses that should consume low-starch diets.

Is steamed hay good for Laminitics?

Soaking hay and steaming it can benefit horses with respiratory issues, laminitis and those that are sensitive to sugar or require low potassium content. Dry hay can be very dusty, which may trigger respiratory problems in horses, particularly those with equine asthma aka chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (heaves).

Does soaking hay reduce protein?

Highlights. Soaking may induce a reduction of the content of energy, crude protein, amino acids and minerals. Variable wash-out effects complicate proper feeding according to the requirements. Soaking might moreover reduce contents of prececal digestible crude protein and amino acids of the hay.

Is it OK to soak hay overnight?

The amount of time for soaking doesn't make much difference after 1-2 hours IF YOU USE ENOUGH WATER. In a study using 25 liters of water for one flake of hay, WSC, ESC loss maximized after 1 hour. (1) There is no reason for soaking hay overnight.

Should you rinse hay after soaking?

Some folks choose to soak the hay in scalding hot water for an hour before feeding to cook out the sugars. At night, the hay for the morning can sit in cold water. If you go the hot-water route for your hay soaking, please drain and rinse in cold water before you serve on that silver platter.

How long should I soak my horses hay for?

How long should hay be soaked? Sugar can be leached out of hay in significant amounts by soaking for 10-12 hours in clean fresh water. Sugars will be lost quicker in warmer water so in winter months using warmer water will assist the process.

Does soaking hay help horses lose weight?

Horses did lose weight, but researchers found that soaking the hay actually took away a bigger portion of the available digestible energy than intended. Although a . 5 to one percent loss in body mass per week is considered acceptable, horses in the study lost roughly . 1 percent to two percent of their body mass.

What hay is best for Laminitic horses?

Generally, a mixture of grass hay and alfalfa is the best hay combination for horses prone to laminitis.