How do you reduce sugar in hay?

Soaking hay is one way to reduce the amount of sugar in the hay, but it should only be used as a stopgap method until a more appropriate hay can be found. It is recommended that you soak hay for short periods of time: 30 minutes when soaking in warm water and 60 minutes when soaking hay in cold water.

How do you get the sugar out of 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.

Does soaking hay take the sugars out of it?

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. The quantity of water is also important as the sugar is lost by diffusion down a concentration gradient.

Do hay steamers reduce sugar in hay?

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.

How do you soak hay for laminitis?

As an expedient field practice, soak hay in warm water for 30 minutes, or in cold water for an hour.

Soaking hay process to lower sugars in hay

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.

Is Steaming hay as good as 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.

Are hay steamers worth it?

Overall, I think if your horse has any dust related problems, investing in a hay steamer is a must, even if you need to make do with one of the cheaper options. If your horse is fine and happy with dry hay or just soaking the occasional dusty bale, I think if you can afford a Haygain, it is definitely worth having.

How long should hay be steamed for?

Steaming versus soaking hay

You can use steaming or soaking to reduce how much dust and mold your horse breathes in while eating affected hay. Soaking hay in water for less than 60 minutes generally costs less than buying a steamer and steaming hay for 90 minutes.

Is it OK to soak hay overnight?

Soaking for longer than one hour removes more WSC, but also removes more of the other nutrients we feed hay to provide. All soaked hay will, however, start to degrade when wet. Make sure that you: Choose your container wisely, do not use drums that have been previously used to store chemicals.

What should Laminitic horses not eat?

Getting the right feed for a laminitic is important for any owner of a horse or pony with laminitis. A high fibre, low starch and low sugar diet is essential for laminitics, so avoid feeds that contain cereals or molasses.

How long should you soak hay for laminitis?

Soaking hay for 12 – 16 hours in cold weather and no more than 3 – 6 hours in warm weather can help to reduce WSC content by up to 50% in some cases.

How long should hay be soaked?

Soaking hay for 15 to 60 minutes is a good way to manage these horses, but only soak hay if your preferred hay isn't available. Feed soaked hay right away to avoid mold growth. Dispose of water in random grassy areas that horses can't access.

What happens if you soak hay too long?

Soaking hay for 10 minutes can significantly reduce the number of respirable particles in grass hay, and longer soaking times do not necessarily result in a greater reduction in respirable particles. Soaking length does, however, affect sugar concentrations.

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 do you soak hay to remove dust?

For horses with allergies, soaking for only 10 minutes can significantly reduce the dust content in the hay, making it less irritating. Horses with metabolic concerns may require hay soaked for approximately 60 minutes to bring sugar content down to safer levels.

What temperature should hay be steamed?

Steaming involves placing hay in a specially designed chamber and passing steam through it. Hay is steamed for approximately one hour and the temperature should reach above 80°C (176°F) for a minimum of ten minutes before the hay is removed.

Do hay steamers work?

Soaking hay can increase the bacteria content by almost 150%, including bacteria that can contribute to colic. Haygain Steaming helps reduce harmful bacteria. Haygain Steamed Hay has more moisture than dry hay – in some cases three times the water content.

Does steaming hay make it more palatable?

Steaming hay produces more hydrated and easily digestible forage making the feed more palatable for the horse. Handling steamed hay will effectively reduce the risk of humans developing dust-related respiratory problems.

Can you make your own hay steamer?

There are companies that make hay steamers for purchase. But in case you're feeling crafty and want to save a few bucks, plenty of equestrians have learned to build and use homemade steamers. Here are a few tutorials on how to get started building your own hay steamer.

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.

How much hay should a laminitic horse?

Feed: Hay - feed approx. 1.5-2% bodyweight hay (depending on whether weight loss is needed (1.5%) or not (2%), so 7.5-10 kg for a 500 kg horse, 3.75-5 kg for a 250 kg pony), soaked for at least 1 hour then drained to reduce sugars (or analysed to show combined sugar/starch no more than 10%).

Can too much hay cause laminitis?

It has become evident in recent years that although the over consumption of grass or feed high in starch or sugar is still commonly associated with horses developing laminitis, up to 90% of cases have an underlying hormonal cause.

What type of hay has the lowest sugar content?

Low sugar hay is extremely important in a horse's diet due to its health properties and the enormous benefits it can offer. While lucerne usually has lower sugar than a lot of grass hays, it more often than not tests HIGHER in sugar, starch & protein compared to our Low Sugar Hay.