Hay steamer? Oh, I'll build it myself!
The homemade solution, consisting of a rain barrel, bicycle basket and the good old Kärcher, is definitely the cheaper solution. But what do you really get out of it?
The fact is: In order to eliminate all pests that can enter the lungs, the hay must reach a temperature of at least 75°C. This can only be achieved effectively by steaming the hay evenly from the inside out.
In most home-made models, the steam outlet is located under the hay.
The steam rises through the simplest gaps, which are usually found at the edge of the container. The hay becomes hot there, but only lukewarm and moist in the middle.
This has the same effect as dipping or wetting hay. The bacteria multiply by 150% within 10 minutes. After just 30 minutes the bacteria have multiplied by 15 times, and after an hour by 244 times.
In addition, very few rain barrels or garbage cans are made of food-safe, let alone heat-resistant plastic.
The steam in the hay travels from the inside to the outside through the entire hay mass until the thermometer in the lid shows about 90°C. The process takes about 50 minutes and heats the hay completely to over 75°C, killing 98% of all bacteria, dust mites and fungal spores.
The hay steamed with professional hay steamers often appears drier after steaming than that from homemade devices. This is because the liquid evaporates immediately due to the enormous heat. However, the respirable particles are boiled away and can therefore no longer stimulate allergens.
Some horses also stop coughing when they use a homemade model. This is not because it is free of bacteria, but because all the particles that can be reached by the lungs stick to the hay due to the moisture and end up in the stomach.
Depending on your horse's sensitivity, other problems may arise, such as rashes, diarrhea, etc.
