An easy method of soaking hay is to fill a hay net, then submerge it in a large garbage or plastic tote filled with clean water. Research has shown that soaking grass hay in cool water for 60 minutes before consumption will effectively reduce the content of water soluble carbohydrates by 30 to 40 percent. Photo: Shutterstock/Peter Titmuss
How long to soak hay for horses?
Warm water removes sugars twice as fast as cold water. Unfortunately, soaking also removes important minerals and vitamins from the hay. Soaking for 15 to 30 minutes results in the best balance between WSC reduction and mineral and vitamin retention. Hay soaked for more than 12 hours potentially puts horses at risk of phosphorus deficiency.
How do you get water out of hay?
After one hour of soaking, the submerged hay can be pulled out and the water disposed of on the manure pile or down a drain. If you pour it out on the ground it can attract flies and wasps in warm weather, or create an icy patch in winter. The hay can be further rinsed under the tap to remove any residual soaking water.
Why soak hay before consumption?
Soaking hay before consumption has been proven in peer reviewed research trials to be an effective way to reduce the content of water soluble carbohydrate in the hay. What is the Best Way to Soak Hay? Soaking hay is as simple as that.
How much does soaking remove WSC from hay?
The briefest soaking removed an average of about 5% of WSC, while the longest soaking removed 27%. Using compressed flakes or shaken-out loose hay made no significant difference.
How long should I soak hay for?
Hay soaking for short periods of time (30-60 minutes) is an acceptable management method for reducing respirable particles and certain nutrient concentrations. Feed soaked hay immediately after soaking to eliminate the potential for mold growth.
How long after soaking hay can you feed it?
Research now shows that soaking hay in clean fresh water for 60 minutes before consumption will effectively reduce the content of water soluble carbohydrates by 30 to 40 percent without removing significant amounts of other nutrients such as phosphorous, magnesium, and potassium.
How much water do you need to soak hay?
Some researchers have advocated 10 parts water to 1 part hay but this simply isn't practical for everyone. The general principle is to use as much water as you can whilst taking into consideration the fact that water is a very precious resource – using rainwater for soaking hay is one possible solution.
Should you soak your hay?
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.
What is the easiest way to soak hay?
That means spritzing the hay with a hose probably won't do. A better approach is to place the flake in a hay net and then dunk it in a large bucket of fresh water. To make sure the hay is thoroughly saturated, hold it beneath the water until no bubbles emerge, a process that will take less than a minute.
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.
Do horses like 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.
How do you soak hay in the winter?
Here's a safe, easy way to prevent the water from freezing. For much of the year, soaking hay to protect the lungs of horses with recurrent airway obstruction (ROA, also known as heaves) is easy: You simply immerse the flakes in a large bucket of water for an hour before feeding, and dust is dramatically reduced.
How long should hay cure before feeding?
“Some traditional horsemen believe that fresh-baled hay should 'sweat' for two to four weeks before feeding. This allows the hay to cure, which might be important if the hay too wet when it was baled.
Does soaking hay remove nutrients?
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 Steaming hay better than soaking?
However, soaking can reduce the mineral content of hay and increases the risk of mould growth. Steaming is more effective for eliminating a wide range of contaminants and airborne particles while preserving nutrients.
Does soaking hay remove dust?
A Nice Long Soak This method can be effective in removing many dust particles from the hay. Real “soaking” involves allowing the hay to sit in water for a length of time. Research has shown that significant dust particles are reduced by soaking hay in warm water for 30 min, or in cold water for 60 minutes.
Is it OK to feed horses wet hay?
Soaking hay for horses can be invaluable when feeding a hay that is a little dusty as a result of soil contamination or where it was stored in the barn. Horses that have allergies and are sensitive to the natural dust and particles in hay can benefit significantly from wetting or soaking hay.
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.
Can horses eat hay that has been rained on?
Rained-on hay can be a suitable forage, especially for horses prone to laminitis. Forage quality tends to be retained if: The rain occurs soon after cutting when the forage has had little time to dry.
Does soaking hay reduce sugar content?
Soaking hay before feeding is one way to lower the sugar levels, but it reduces more than sugar. 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.