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Post by dalesnfellfan on Aug 2, 2014 11:37:27 GMT -1
I usually soak my hay before feeding through the winter, mainly to reduce the sugars especially for Spud as I really struggle to keep his weight down now he's not working properly. I use 4 large plastic trug tubs and put a haynet in each, but the nets are heavy to lift out and I don't have a drain inside, and in fact nowhere suitable to leave the tubs outside where they won't be in the way of vehicles etc., so have to empty the tubs daily by bailing out using buckets.
I won't be able to manage this this year as the shoulder is still quite painful so have been trying to think of alternative ways of doing it. I did consider a steamer but they are expensive and steaming won't really reduce the sugars and thats the main reason for doing it, although he does tend to cough a bit on dry hay as well.
I have found something called a Hay Cube which is a small plastic tank on wheels which takes half a small bale and has a plug in the bottom so when the hay has soaked you can just drain the water out and then wheel it into the stable and feed from the cube. I haven't seen one in the flesh but it would appear to do what I want except that I would need to fit a small holed net over the top somehow to stop the ponies just pulling the hay onto the floor and eating too fast and also wasting some (they did this when I used haybars). Also they are £100 each and I would need 2, I have been looking to see if there are any suitable, cheaper wheeled containers that I could fit with a plug hole and convert to do a similar job, but haven't been able to find what I want.
Does anyone have any bright ideas and what do other people use to make soaking easier? All suggestions much appreciated.
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Post by harveydales on Aug 2, 2014 14:38:43 GMT -1
Great minds etc - I've been thinking along the same lines. At the moment I dunk Hay nets in huge plastic pickle barrels but want something I can soak a whole bale in and drain easily.
I've seen the hay cubes which seem jolly expensive for what they are and have seen even more expensive contraptions. I'm thinking of adapting a wheel bin by putting a plug hole in the bottom. Or a large water trough on wheels. Got lots of ideas but need to get on with encouraging andy to make something for me.
Sent from my Nexus 10 using proboards
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Post by tinkerdorisalison on Aug 3, 2014 9:39:52 GMT -1
It can't be too complicated to fit a tap to the bottom of a wheely bin can it?
I heard of someone who made a hay steamer using a wheely bin and a wallpaper steamer - never really thought about it not removing as many sugars
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Post by dalesnfellfan on Aug 3, 2014 11:34:35 GMT -1
I thought of a wheelie bin but I've still got to haul a wet haynet out of the bin, which will put quite a strain on the shoulder I think. I really need something lower so its easier to remove the soaked nets, or something like the hay cube where the hay can be fed from the container, but cheaper.
I also have a friend who made a steamer out of a wheelie bin and a wallpaper steamer and it works fine, but her horses aren't fatties so she not bothered about removing sugars.
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Post by tinkerdorisalison on Aug 3, 2014 13:39:42 GMT -1
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Post by harveydales on Aug 3, 2014 13:51:16 GMT -1
Yes, something like that would do me.
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Post by zeldalithgow on Aug 3, 2014 20:32:07 GMT -1
Don't you need to rinse the hay after soaking, so I can't see the hay cube being ideal. Quite a few years back I saw a lifting frame for hay nets, but I suppose as it was a good idea it's not around anymore
Is there anywhere you could fix up pulley system to make it easier to lift
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Post by harveydales on Aug 4, 2014 5:21:31 GMT -1
That's a good point, Zelda. I just dunk my nets in water to get rid of dust rather than soak for a long period to reduce sugars. I suppose with the hay cube you would drain it after soaking, then wet it once more and quickly drain before feeding. So a bit of a faff but it would work and not be strenuous on shoulders. I think it would work well for stabled horses but I need to put the hay out in the field.
I've seen a few hay soaking pully set-ups whilst googling but the costs are astronomical!
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Post by dalesnfellfan on Aug 4, 2014 11:56:34 GMT -1
Something like that would work I think but is nearly as expensive as a hay cube, however it is bigger so is worth considering if you could fit 2 large nets in it, so only needing one.
I do have a metal frame which holds the water header tank which we may be able to fix a pully to, I'll have to investigate that.
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Post by maggie on Aug 4, 2014 15:44:53 GMT -1
In the olden days when I was working in a riding school and 12 of the horses and ponies were on soaked hay, it was the bane of my life, especially in the winter! We had a set up with a couple of old baths fitted under a part of the post and rail fence (the bottom 2 rails had been removed along 1 section. The dry nets were put into the baths and filled with water from the hose. When they were ready, each of the strings was thrown over the top rail and the nets hauled up, tied off and left to drain back into the baths and the next lot of dry nets put in. The hose over the drained nets rinsed them off and topped up the baths. Half an hour later, they were ready to feed. It wasn't the easiest way to do things, but it worked, although in the freezing weather they are awful to handle and the baths could freeze and needed kettles-full of boiling water to release the nets.
Thinking about the hay cube idea, I wonder whether you could get a bale into something like a Plasterer's Bath (round about £40), fit a drain tap and stand them on a wheeled platform dolly (150kg on ebay for £15). You could adapt an old haynet or two to fit over the top.
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Post by tinkerdorisalison on Aug 4, 2014 19:57:29 GMT -1
I keep thinking about a thing my dad has for lifting engines/gearboxes, I think its called a chain pulley or block & tackle, you can lift heavy things with ease, but you need something decent to hang it on. all you have to do is pull the chain through the block, and the item is hoisted up, no weight at all
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Post by zeldalithgow on Aug 5, 2014 8:33:18 GMT -1
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Post by wdf on Aug 6, 2014 2:56:29 GMT -1
I have a Hay Cube, bought it last year thinking it would be the answer to all my soakng pain; I was wrong! It's awquard to move when filled & I've struggled SO much with Doc pulling the d**n thing off the wall hanger when haynet pushed inside, I cut a slot in the side to slide a mesh in ontop of the hay but he kept bending the mesh and pulled it out the top, at one point I'd got 2x20kg weights in the bottom to stop him from lifting it - no that didn't even work & I was concerned he was eventually going to hurt himself. It's now a storage box for rugs until I can come up with a plan R  What about a water butt that's got a tap already fitted then fix that somehow to a trolley - thats what someone on our yard did. Me & a couple others just use the large tubtrugs and tip in over to drain then wheelbarrow the wet hay. |
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Post by harveydales on Aug 6, 2014 5:03:52 GMT -1
Well that's totally put me off the hay cube. I did wonder just how hard they would be to move around. Thanks for your input!
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Post by dalesnfellfan on Aug 6, 2014 7:20:22 GMT -1
I have a Hay Cube, bought it last year thinking it would be the answer to all my soakng pain; I was wrong! It's awquard to move when filled & I've struggled SO much with Doc pulling the d**n thing off the wall hanger when haynet pushed inside, I cut a slot in the side to slide a mesh in ontop of the hay but he kept bending the mesh and pulled it out the top, at one point I'd got 2x20kg weights in the bottom to stop him from lifting it - no that didn't even work & I was concerned he was eventually going to hurt himself. It's now a storage box for rugs until I can come up with a plan R What about a water butt that's got a tap already fitted then fix that somehow to a trolley - thats what someone on our yard did. Me & a couple others just use the large tubtrugs and tip in over to drain then wheelbarrow the wet hay. Thanks for this post it's also put me off the idea too, I use the tubtrugs but can't tip them as we have no handy drain. Alison, I'm sure my husband still has a block and tackle stashed away somewhere which he will never use again as his engine lifting days are well and truly over I'll have to see if we can find it, although space is rather short now we've got all our hay in. Maggie I like the idea of a plasterers bath on dolly wheels, I had seen the baths but was struggling to see how to attach wheels, I'll have a look at this. Thanks for all your ideas |
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