HAY FOR HORSES - THE EFFECTS OF 3 DIFFERENT WETTING TREATMENTS ON DUST AND NUTRIENT CONTENT

Five bales were randomly chosen from a stack of 6-month-old barn-store d hay. Four 2.5-kg sections were taken from each bale and subjected to one of four different water wetting treatments, 0-min soak, 10-min so ak, 30-min soak and 80-min steaming. Post wetting, the sections were s haken for 9 min under a Negretti LS45F personal dust sampler which suc ked-in any particles released into the surrounding air. The sampler co ntents were then analysed for respirable particle numbers (particles < 5 mu m), and the hay subsampled and analysed for water-soluable carbo hydrate, N, Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu. The steaming and soak ing treatments all proportionately reduced respirable particle numbers by more than 0.93 of those present in the dry hay. Soaking for 10 min and 30 min significantly reduced levels of P, K, Mg, Na and Ctl, wher eas the steamed samples showed no loss of nutrients from the levels pr esent in the dry hay. Thus in terms of reducing respirable particle nu mbers and conserving nutrient levels, steaming for 80 min is the most effective treatment when preparing hay fodder for horses.