I am having a pony on loan for my daughter, he's coming on wednesday!
He has always had his hay soaked so I shall carry on the routine but... I have never soaked hay before as Raz has never needed to!
I was thinking I could use one of my large plastic crates to soak the hay in...
How long do I saok it for Do I use the same quanities or do they need more than unsoaked Do I have to hang it up for a while to drain How long for Do I have to use fresh water every time I soak hay Can I soak a weeks load of hay or does it have to be done daily How quickly after its soaked does it have to be used HELP...
Sorry for lots of questions...
What sort of routines do people have to make life a little easier when soaking hay
ask your poies previous owners how long they soak the hay for. In the past it used to be recommended that you soak the hay for aprox 12 hours. but since then the school of thaught has changed to say that by soaking it for that long you take all the nutrients out of it , so the more recent thaught is about 10 minuted, enough time so ensure that the hay is wet thru. always soak in fresh water, you ll understand why when you smell the dirty stuff!!. do not leave to dry out again. and only soak once. hope this is of help..... sue
How long do I soak it for - 10 minutes or hose until totally wet through.
Do I use the same quanities or do they need more than unsoaked - Same quantity whether soaked or not.
Do I have to hang it up for a while to drain - Yes if in stable or you will have water everywhere, no if in field.
How long for - Until water stops running out
Do I have to use fresh water every time I soak hay - YES! After soaking hay the water that is left is disgusting and has been likened to sewage water!
Can I soak a weeks load of hay or does it have to be done daily - Daily and just before you need it as the hay has to be wet when fed or it defeats the object.
How quickly after its soaked does it have to be used - Straight away or the dust spores will dry out and cause the problem you are trying to avoid.
Haylage is a great alternative to soaking hay and is a lot easier/cleaner. Don't forget that you need to feed MORE haylage that you would hay due to the higher water content.
It does depend on why he's had his hay soaked though - I have to soak my hay for 12 hours for my fatties to get rid of the sugar but 10 - 15 minutes would be enough to dampen down dust/spores for an allergy.
Definitely use fresh water to soak, and do it daily!
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England
Posted - 29 Oct 2007 : 12:58:41 PM
