We have recently transitioned from using 2023 harvested Timothy grass to 2024 harvested Timothy grass in the production of our HayCare pellets.
We have received feedback that some customers are finding the first of these new batches, SSB-20240516-001 and SSB-20240531-001, are taking longer the usual 15-30 minutes to soak. Recipients of this email communication have received stock from an affected batch.
It is typical for the first few batches of new season stock to be a little more compressed than usual due to a combination of the farmer changing to a brand new pelleting die for the new year’s production and the pellets not having much time in storage to naturally settle and loosen. Some years, this will not noticeably effect the soak time, as the ambient temperature is usually higher come June, but this year some customers have found there are still hard lumps remaining after their usual 30 minute soak. This slower soak time is temporary and should improve with each subsequent batch of product made.
If you usually offer your HayCare within 15-30 minutes of adding water, we recommend stirring your feed through thoroughly to check that there are no remaining hard lumps under the surface.
If you do find your HayCare is not soaking as quickly as it typically does, we suggest the following short term adjustments to ensure your feed is adequately soaked:
- Soak in the morning for your evening feed and evening for your morning feed.
- If you have access to it, using hot or warm water will significantly decrease soak time. If using hot water, please do ensure your feed is completely cool before offering.
- Increase the amount of water used. If you typically soak in 2.5 times its volume of water, try increasing this to 3 times its volume.
You may have noticed that your current pellets are greener than those in your last bag. We know that many of our HayCare customers choose this product specifically for the high fibre and low sugar levels, so wanted to reassure you that this is completely natural and not an indication of increased feed value. The pellets are still 100% Timothy grass, from the same grower, and the nutritional profile remains in line with our specification for this product.
The colour is a richer green than other recent batches as the Timothy grass in these pellets was harvested, dried and pressed only 2-3 weeks ago. As the year goes on the vibrant colour will gradually fade, as you will see if you compare pellets from your previous bag to the new ones. This transition point is not always so noticeable, but the colour difference is particularly stark this year due to the poor weather during the growing season for this cut. It has been incredibly wet, and the standing crop has had little to no sun on it, resulting in a brighter colouring than usual. This has been further exaggerated because the sun bleaching that would usually occur whilst the cut grass dries naturally in the field, before it is collected and finished off in the rotary drier, just hasn’t happened with the overcast weather.
If you have made the above adjustments and are still experiencing difficulties soaking your HayCare, please get in touch via sales@simplesystem.co.uk or 01284 810043. Our team will be more than happy to help.