Hay Steaming FAQ

Over the 10+ years of supplying, and maintaining hay steamers, we have built up a wealth of experience in haysteaming. If you have a question we haven't covered in this blog, then please do email us at sales@farmstable.com and we'll be able to help you out! 

ARE THERE ANY ALTERNATIVES TO STEAMING?
Soaking: Some horse owners soak the hay as an alternative to steaming. However, this does not kill bacteria and mould spores in the hay. Only the respirable dust is washed out. This is good for many horses, but you have to note that this hay can only be fed for up to 4 hours, after that it tips over and is no longer good for the horses. In summer, when the temperatures are ideal for the bacteria, the tipping can happen even faster.

Other alternatives to steamed hay include feeding haylage or silage (however, many horses find these difficult to digest, the acidity levels are higher so not suitable for horses with issues regulating acid levels such as ulcers, and fungi etc. may also be present) or feeding them hay cobs.

WHY IS STEAMING HAY BETTER THAN SOAKING?
Steaming kills almost all bacteria and mould spores in hay that can be potential allergens for horses. In addition, steamed hay is only slightly damp on the outside due to the condensation and not really wet. This means that the steamed hay can be fed up to 24 hours after steaming (even longer if stored in the box).

Wet hay, on the other hand, should be fed or used up much faster (within 4 hours).

Water consumption when steaming is also many times lower than when soaking.

In addition, many horses prefer steamed hay to soaked hay because, among other things, the aromatic substances and nutrients are not washed out in contrast to soaked hay.

ARE THERE CLINICAL REASONS WHY HAYSTEAMING IS PARTICULARLY NECESSARY
Steamed hay is particularly suitable for horses with equine asthma (collective title for all previous names for respiratory diseases such as COB, RAO, IAD).

Feeding steamed hay is also recommended for horses with allergies, for example to dust, mites or mould spores.

But all horses will benefit from steamed hay. Steamed hay is primarily given prophylactically to sport horses to protect the horses from possible respiratory diseases and the associated loss of performance.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE BEFORE I SEE POSITIVE EFFECTS FROM STEAMING?
Changes can usually be seen after just a few days.

However, this varies greatly from horse to horse. Respiratory problems depend on many different factors. The roughage quality is only one change required in the management of horses with respiratory diseases. The posture and movement, as well as the veterinary care of the horse are factors that must be considered. The severity of the disease is also important.

The most important thing is to find out the cause through a veterinary examination. 

ARE THERE ANY SIDE EFFECTS FROM STEAMING THE HAY?
Feeding steamed hay has no known side effects. Even healthy horses can be fed with steamed hay. Some studies show that the protein content of hay can change.

WHICH NUVEQ HAY STEAMER DO I NEED?
That depends on your horse's hay needs and how many horses you need to steam hay for.

Basically, you can calculate with 1.75 kg of hay per 100 kg of body weight in a horse. With a body weight of 500 kg, for example, this results in a daily requirement of 8.75 kg of hay.

It is of course possible to buy a smaller steamer and steam several times a day. With two steaming processes a day, you can also provide a large horse with a small steamer. However, two steaming processes also mean a corresponding power consumption and expenditure of time.

If you have 3 horses or a commercial yard full of horses requiring steamed hay, then we recommend the nuveq® SUMMIT. With a 30-35kg hay capacity, you can steam up to 7 large hay nets per steaming cycle.  For steaming hay for 1-2 horses, then the nuveq® EXPERT (pro and eco models available). This model has wheels and can easily be moved around your yard.  If you want to steam on demand or the go, then watch this space - news coming very soon!

WHICH ACCESSORIES DO I NEED FOR HAY STEAMING?
If you want to steam in the hay net, the hay net must be able to withstand temperatures of up to 110°C and contend with not only heat, but also steam. Many hay nets are not heat-resistant and therefore not suitable for the steaming process. The nuveq® haynets are made of a polyethylene and nylon mix and purposely developed for use in our steamers, giving you great quality and many happy steaming cycles for your horse. 

We offer two sizes of hay net - Standard and Large - but both are based on the industry standard 107cm net.

360• STEAMING. WHAT IS THAT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

At NUVEQ we have hands-on experience with many different types of hay steamers and steaming systems. Over the 10 years maintaining and running hay steamers, we've learnt a thing or two about steaming hay: what works well, what not so well, how they are used in real-life yards and what's expected of them.

We recognise an equine yard is a tough environment and also a busy one! That's why we have re-invented the whole hay steaming 'technology' and introduced our innovative '360• steaming system'. We've started with the horse owner in mind and know that speed, ease and how much it costs to run are really important - especially in today's economic climate. 

Many of our team own horses and have years of experience using different types of hay steamers and we wanted to put that knowledge, experience and the needs of the horse owner at the centre of what we do. 

The NUVEQ hay steaming system steams not just from the bottom - jetting steam upwards through the hay, but we have developed and launched to the market a 'Patent Pending' steaming system that also jets steam from the top. Reducing the time it takes to steam hay and how easily the steam penetrates loose and netted hay. 

Keep revisiting this blog as we will add more and more questions as we compile our top questions about Hay Steaming.