How long is steamed hay good for?

If the hay cannot be fed straight out of the steamer, it can be fed up to 24 hours later. If it is decided to steam the hay up to 24 hours before feeding, it should be stored in a clean dry area off of the ground so that there is the least amount of contamination as possible.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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How long will steamed hay last?



Does steaming hay get rid of dust?

You can use steaming or soaking to reduce how much dust and mold your horse breathes in while eating affected hay.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Why do people steam hay for horses?

Hay steaming is a method of treating hay to reduce the airborne respirable dust which naturally occur in hay, causing respiratory problems in both humans and horses when in close contact.
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Can you soak hay for too long?

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.
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Will horses eat soaked hay?

Nutrient content Some horse owners soak their hay to reduce the amount of sugars, or nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC), in the forage. Horses that require a low-sugar diet, such as those with laminitis or insulin resistance, might benefit from soaked hay.
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Can you 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.
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Does soaking hay reduce calories?

For horses whose calorie intake needs controlling, it is suggested that soaking hay for as long as 12 hours will help leach out many of the calories, leaving just the fibre element.
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What is a Haygain?

HAYGAIN HG ONE

Ideal as a travel unit for shows and competitions. Double skinned thermally insulated chest. Feeds up to one horse or pony. Holds up to 15.4 lbs of forage either in a haynet or loose wedges.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Can you feed dusty hay to horses?

In fact, horse hay should not be dusty at all! As you are inspecting the hay, shift through a bale to see if there is any dust that is released in the process. While some fallout is to be expected, exceptionally dusty hay can cause harm to the respiratory system of your horse.
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