Steamed hay?

thaiblue12 · #1 12/15/10, 06:46 PM

My neighbor is offering me steamed hay that the horses do not finish at the end of the day. They steam it in the morning and whatever is left in the afternoon I can have free

But neither of us know if it is good for goats to eat. I read why they steam it for horses, to reduce bacteria, mold and dust. So it sounds good for the goats as well but they will be getting it hours later after it has cooled. I cannot find out anything about how long the hay is good for after it is steamed and neither of us wants to have to bring or get the hay on a daily basis. The goats will still have their huge dry bale of grass hay and this is also grass hay. I can use it for the bucks as it is such a pain to get hay off the large bale for them. I end up buying them small grass bales so I do not have to do that. So it would save me there and save me if the main herd eats it as well since they will not go through their own as fast.

I wonder if steamed hay still good the next day?
Can I bring it home every other day?
Will it do the goats any harm?

Thanks

sammyd · #2 12/15/10, 08:21 PM

I would guess that once it's steamed anything that needed to be killed would stay dead....
If it's free and decent quality I would use it.

Minelson · #3 12/15/10, 09:07 PM

I'm watching the responses you get because I have never heard of such a thing...must be something done in the "ritzy neighborhoods" lol !!

deaconjim · #4 12/15/10, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minelson

I'm watching the responses you get because I have never heard of such a thing...must be something done in the "ritzy neighborhoods" lol !!

Steaming gives the hay a lower fat content than frying.

thaiblue12 · #5 12/15/10, 09:40 PM

LoL no not ritzy Minelson. He boards horses and has an "elderly pen" with 3 of them all over 25 years old I think. They were soaking hay for them to eat but do not want to do that in 4 degree weather. So one of the boarders made a hay steamer. Never heard of it till today:

http://www.equi-therapy.net/equi-the...-steamer.shtml

Maybe someone in equine knows how long it is good for. I hate to give them something that will turn bad quickly.

I bet my goats would eat fried hay as long as it was rolled into animal crackers lol.

Laverne · #6 12/15/10, 10:14 PM

I would wonder if the hay was damp from steaming and if so how long would it take to start fermenting or growing mold. If it's freezing weather maybe it would take longer to mold.

Patt · #7 12/15/10, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deaconjim

Steaming gives the hay a lower fat content than frying.

LOL!

That's a new one on me! Will be interested in what you find out.

Cannon_Farms · #8 12/15/10, 10:48 PM

the day my goats want their hay steamed is the day they all leave. I have a dozen bales from all over the county that they wont touch thats highly frustrating as it is

Patt · #9 12/15/10, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cannon_Farms

the day my goats want their hay steamed is the day they all leave. I have a dozen bales from all over the county that they wont touch thats highly frustrating as it is

Been there, done that! Finicky little buggers aren't they! Best way I have found to get mine to eat hay is stick it anywhere but their manger, for some reason that makes them think it is special.....

thaiblue12 · #10 12/16/10, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cannon_Farms

the day my goats want their hay steamed is the day they all leave. I have a dozen bales from all over the county that they wont touch thats highly frustrating as it is

Put the hay in a fenced area, they will run to get it lol. The grass is always greener on the other side! They had a 3x3 bale out and straw in the barn but laying on the straw behind the fence and eating the fenced hay was soooo much better!!

Steamed hay? - Goats

Cheribelle · #11 12/16/10, 02:04 AM

It looks good to me, but what about freezing? Seems like it would freeze and be hard to handle?

jill.costello · #12 12/16/10, 09:57 AM

Hmmm.....hay can get ever so slightly damp, and then dry (I guess yours would freeze-dry, lol) and still be good. You just have to have your eyes open, I guess.

I'm thinking of early spring mornings where dew has gotten on my hay, but after an hour in the sun, it's just fine and the horses are eating it....

fishhead · #13 12/16/10, 11:16 AM

If it stays below freezing I don't see why it wouldn't last all winter. Eventually it would freeze dry.

It would be hard to handle if they piled and it froze.

Alice In TX/MO · #14 12/16/10, 01:28 PM

I think you just steam the amount they will eat at one feeding.

Alice In TX/MO · #15 12/16/10, 01:29 PM

http://www.happyhorseproducts.co.uk/