Using your Haygain® hay steamer
© Haygain
11
4. Carefully pour up to 8 litres of clean tap water into the steam generator. If you are only
steaming one bale, we recommend you use 6 litres of clean tap water.
Warning:
Take care not to overfill the steam generator with water. Never add
anti-freeze or other additives to the water.
5. Remove the funnel from the steam generator, then screw on the safety cap and tighten
it by hand.
Loading forage
The hay chest can hold a standard size bale of forage, several hay nets, or loose forage.
When steaming part of a bale of forage, re-tie it using bailing twine to keep it together. After
steaming, cut and remove any bailing twine.
After steaming, any metal parts on hay nets will be very hot. The hot temperatures in the hay
chest can also cause some hay nets to shrink. We recommend you use Haygain
®
hay nets,
which do not have any metal parts and are heat-resistant so will not shrink. You can order
Haygain
®
hay nets from www.haygain.com
To load forage
1. Lift the lid of the hay chest.
2. Check there is no loose forage in the hay chest, and that the steam holes and drain
holes are not blocked. If there is any loose forage or blockages, clean the hay chest
before you load new forage. Read more about cleaning the hay chest on page 15.
3. Place the forage into the hay chest. Place hay nets or wedges of loose forage vertically,
so that they are parallel with the sides of the chest.
4. Press the forage down firmly, being careful of the manifold spikes. Ensure the manifold
spikes fully pierce the forage.
5. Close the lid of the hay chest and fasten the latches.
Steaming forage
When you steam the forage in the hay chest, the internal temperature of the hay chest can
reach 80 °C and above. This represents a temperature of 100 °C in the forage. The
combination of hot temperature and moisture kills the mould spores and bacteria in the forage,
protecting your horse from harmful dust and microorganisms.
If steam comes out of the filler cap when you are steaming forage, the pressure inside the
steam generator is too high. This can be due to a blockage in the hay chest, steam generator
or steam hose. For more information, see page 20.
