With HayGain no longer being available, are there any other options readily available in North America (even better if in Canada)? There are lots of options in the UK, but of course shipping is quite expensive so would rather find domestically if possible.
And, yes, I am aware of the DYI option, just not sure if I want to go that way or not.
Anyone I am forum acquainted with that needs one, makes their own. Relatively simple and only around $100 or so dollars.
A lady in Canada made one with what she had in her basement:
A big cooler (120 quart or 152 quart).
A humidifier from when her children were small.
An old oven rack.
A heavy duty extension cord.
You could start the steaming when you start barn chores or by an industrial heavy duty timer and see if it would work without blowing a circuit.
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I’ve never seen or heard of a DIY steamer that got hot enough, for long enough, to do the mold/spore-killing job of Hygain. A humidifier definitely isn’t hot enough though would serve the pupose of at least softening the hay.
I’m sure there’s probably something out there you can use, but it won’t be cheap, and having a way to contain the steam so it stays hot, and on/in the hay is the next challenge
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I was lucky enough to find a used Haygain and heavey horse is doing better. Maybe you could?
Either buy used or use a quality steamer like Jiffy or Stratus and diy. A wallpaper steamer won’t be enough to properly steam the hay unless it is a small amount.
It may be true for the most part, but the lady who made the steamer, using the humidifier , only needed a small amount for one horse and he did stop coughing.
Those of us who don’t have the kind of money to spend on a piece of professionally made steam equipment must improvise the best we can and hope “it” works good enough. Which, in her case it did.
If all that’s needed to dampen dust and soften hay, that can work. But lots of COPD horses need mold killed, and a humidifier won’t do that
Since so many folks are in need of this type of equipment, someone needs to come up with an AFFORDABLE idea that will work, not only for those with big checkbooks but those on a limited income.
I would be making my own if I needed one (which I don’t) as I am retired, on a fixed income. Paying the ridiculous amount for a Haygain is - well - stupid ridiculous. It caters to the high end horse owners. Those backyard owners that are in need can just suffer unless they take matters into their own creative hands.
Clearly they were not charging enough to continue making them so you might have thought their price was ridiculous but their costs to make said otherwise.
I do think there is a gap here that people think that just making the hay wet is the same thing as what they were doing.
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For what it’s worth, I’ve heard that this makes a good steamer to DIY: https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/power-tools/110936-earlex-steam-generator?item=03K0315
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Nuveq is a new brand. The “good” people from HayGain went there and developed a better one. I don’t know, if the ship to the US, but you can easily ask them through their page: https://fs-animal-health.com/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fsanimalhealth/
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There may be some truth to that in this day and age, where it costs more to eat at a drive-thru than a sit down restaurant.
If they were not selling enough mass-produced units to justify staying in business, then there’s the message - people who could have benefited from the product couldn’t afford to buy one.
No question there are folks who don’t know the difference between steaming hay for breathing issues and soaking hay for metabolic issues, and there are those who think simply wetting hay accomplishes something.
I am thankful I don’t need a steamer but if I did, I am one of the folks who has enough mechanical & electrical savvy that I would be able to build one that worked and build it cheap:)
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This is quite a bit of over simplification.
Maybe it is simply the fact that there is not enough of a market to offset the cost of making them.
I don’t see tons of people attempting to steam hay.
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Just FYI: Haygain is once again available in Canada through System Equine.
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Thanks for the update. Unfortunately, I lost the horse that I was looking at a steamer for the day after I put up my inquiry post (colic, not heaves), but a friend was also looking for one so I will let her know!
