Large Animal FAQs

Always use the concept of a pound of forage is a pound of forage regardless of its form. A pound of baled forage is the same as a pound of pellets or a pound of cubes. We recommend that animals be fed by weight and not by volume; therefore if you are currently feeding 10lbs of alfalfa from a bale and changing to alfalfa pellets or cubes then you should feed 10lbs of alfalfa pellets or cubes.

Forage pellets and cubes are just another form of forage; nothing has changed except the shape or the size of the forage. Always use the concept of a pound of forage is a pound of forage regardless of its form. A pound of baled forage is the same as a pound of pellets or a pound of cubes. We recommend that animals be fed by weight and not by volume; therefore if you are currently feeding 10lbs of alfalfa from a bale and changing to alfalfa pellets or cubes then you should feed 10lbs of alfalfa pellets or cubes.

Using the concept of a pound of forage is a pound of forage regardless of its form, replacing baled forage with pelleted or cubed forage is simple. For example, if a person is feeding 15 lbs of baled forage and wants to also feed some forage pellets, then simply replace what is taken away in baled forage pound per pound with pellets or cubes. If a person is feeding 15 lbs of baled forage and wanted to add 5 lbs of pellets without increasing the amount of forage the horse receives in a day, then simply feed 10 lbs of baled forage and 5 lbs of pellets or cubes. The horse will still be getting his 15 lbs of forage a day.

Timothy grass forage would be a good choice, as the sugar level is low when compared to other grass hay forages. Standlee recommends consulting with a veterinarian or an equine nutritionist to ensure the best possible dietary plan for equines with special dietary needs.

It is important to understand the way that our compressed bales are manufactured. We use a 4’x4’x8’ bale of forage that is put into our press and cut horizontally twice, moved across a scale, weighed compressed, and banded. During this process when the hay is sliced it creates fractures, just as a piece of wood does when it is cut. These are fractures that are in the bales, not dust. Most often horses love this part of the bale, as to them it is the “candy”. If a horse has respiratory problems and the fractures are bothersome to the horse, the hay can be wetted down.

Standlee purchases Smart Beet pellets and Smart Beet shreds from our local commercial sugar factory, we do not grow sugar beets. We purchase them locally and then bag them at our facility. All sugar beets grown for commercial sugar production in the US are genetically modified; therefore all Smart Beet products are GMO.

There is molasses in Smart Beet pellets and Smart Beet shreds as a by-product of the manufacturing at the sugar factory. Molasses is added to the beet pulp during the pulp drying phase so it does not ferment. There is only a very small amount of molasses in the Smart Beet pellets and shreds, about 3%. Standlee does not add molasses to the product. When choosing which Smart Beet product to feed your animals, it is important to look at the actual sugar content. Standlee Smart Beet pellets have about 7% sugar and the Smart Beet shreds have about 10% of this 3% is from by-product molasses.

SPWF recommends that pellets be soaked in two parts water to one part pellet for at least 30 minutes. Cubes should be soaked for at least 45 minutes to an hour. It is important to feed pellets or cubes at ground level, allowing the horse to extend his neck in his natural grazing position. Always use room temperature or cold water when soaking forage as hot water not only cooks them but can also cause them to ferment.

Currently, we do not offer a sample program, however, we guarantee our product so if at any time a consumer is not completely satisfied it can be returned to the place of purchase with the receipt for a full refund.

Standlee straw is either Barley or Wheat; this straw is noxious weed-free however it is not barley or wheat seed free. If using straw for landscaping or gardening purposes it can sprout barley or wheat.

Yes, to maintain product quality store in a cool dry well-ventilated place out of the effects of the weather.

We will soon be selling our large animal forage products through select retailers in British Columbia & Alberta, Canada. Please keep checking our website for more information.

Standlee uses the date code format DD.MM.YYYY to track packaging dates on all of our bagged products and the format DD.MM.YY on our Grab and Go products. Each of our bags has a date code printed on it that tells you the packaging date. The first two numbers are the day, the next two numbers indicate the month, and the last four numbers (or the last two numbers for Grab and Go) indicate the year. For example, 03.04.2016, would mean that the product was packaged on April 3rd, 2016.

Please see our Nutrition Information for a detailed analysis on Standlee Premium Products.

Certified forage is a shortened term for “certified noxious weed free forage or straw”. Through the governing body NAISMA (North American Invasive Species Management Association), states have come together and determined what weeds they deem as noxious. Each state’s agriculture department inspects fields within their state for noxious weeds and will certify the field as noxious weed free if it meets the criteria. When manufacturers participate in this program, they are required by law to provide certain types of labeling on their noxious weed free products. All of our NWFFS (Noxious Weed Free Forage Straw) baled forage or straw has a yellow band with purple writing, with the ID Dept. of Ag logo and the letters NWFFS. Our certified bagged products have the labeling required on the lower center of the front of our packaging. We do not send out certificates to individuals or to retailers, as we are required by law to provide labeling on our noxious weed free products. Certified does not mean forages are weed free; it means they are free of “noxious” weeds. Always feed your animals noxious weed free products at least 3 days prior to traveling to areas requiring certified forage. For detailed information on Certified Noxious Weed Free, go to our Certified Noxious Weed Free page.

As of December 1, 2013, Standlee will have a limited amount of GMO Alfalfa and Alfalfa Blended products in retail outlets. GMO Alfalfa could be found in cubes, pellets, chopped or bales.

Standlee Premium Products recognizes and respects that consumers appreciate a variety of product choices. Therefore, Standlee provides non-GMO straight Timothy Grass and Orchard Grass options across formats. (IE: Orchard Grass Pellets, Timothy Grass Pellets & Bales)

Visit our products overview page for a complete list of products.

Standlee Premium Products Alfalfa/Timothy cubes are 60% Alfalfa and 40% Timothy grass forages.

Dehydrated forage cubes are processed differently than sun-cured forage cubes. Dehydrated cubes are made from forages that are grown in humid climates primarily or areas where frequent rain showers exist. These forages are harvested before bloom and not at optimum levels. The forage is usually left in the field for 2 days, then is picked up and chopped, transported to the processing plant, dehydrated to 95% matter, and then cubed. The dehydrated method does not allow for the forage to be baled. Sun cured forages uses the sun to naturally cure the hay in the field before it is baled. This process can take upwards of 5 days before baling. Once baled, the forage then is processed into cubes, on an as-needed basis. The nutritional value is naturally protected from this curing method. Dehydrated cubes nutritional values start out high, but with additional heat from the process, lower levels are maintained to mirror the natural process of sun-cured cubes. Sun cured cubes forages have optimum levels of nutrition and with less chance of mold spores. Standlee Premium Products uses the natural method of sun-cured and does not use any chemical mold inhibitors to control unwanted moisture as found in the eastern humid areas of forage processing.

Concentrated Separator By-Product or CSB is a secondary molasses produced during the separation of sugars from normal sugar beet molasses. It contains most of the molasses components but is lower in sugar content than ordinary molasses. Sugar beet molasses undergoes a process in which approximately half of the sugar is removed, concentrating proteins and minerals to form CSB. Compared with Cane Molasses, CSB has more crude protein, ash, and moisture; but as stated less sugar content. There has been extensive research into the use of CSB in the feed industry with Molasses based diets and supplements with no adverse effects. Please ensure to consult your veterinarian or equine nutritionist before adding or changing your animal's diet.

All Standlee Premium Products pellets do not have any binding agents used in the making of the forage pellets. All pellets are 100% natural forage of choice.

Smart Beet pellets and shreds are an excellent source of digestible fiber. For most horses, 1 lb to 3 lbs a day would be a good choice. Hard keepers may require more. Smart Beet pellets should be soaked in water 2 parts water to 1 part pellet for 30 minutes. Smart Beet shreds should be soaked 2 parts water to 1 part shreds for 30 minutes. Always use room temperature or cold water when soaking beet pulp as warm or hot water can cause them to ferment.

Forage Pellets and cubes are just another form of forage; nothing has changed except the shape or the size of the forage. Always use the concept a pound of forage is a pound of forage regardless of its form. We recommend that you feed by weight and not by volume, therefore if you are feeding 10 lbs of Alfalfa, and changing to Alfalfa pellets then you should feed 10lbs of pellets.

It is always best to work with a veterinarian or equine nutritionist for the best dietary regimen for your equine partner. For detailed information on the proper forage to feed your equine, we have created a user-friendly tool to help consumers determine the best forage for their horses

Bales of forage vary in size and weight all across the country. Forage should be fed by weight, and not by volume. 1.5% to 2.5% of the horse's body weight per day depending on his activity level. Compressed bales of forage are no different. We recommend cutting the bands 8 – 10 hours prior to feeding, this allows air to flow through the bale and helps it to expand into its natural flakes. Flakes should be weighed and fed according to your horse's daily dietary requirements.

Using the concept of a pound of forage is a pound of forage regardless of its form, replacing baled forage with pelleted or cubed forage is simple. For example, if a person is feeding 15 lbs of baled forage and wants to also feed some forage pellets, then simply replace what is taken away in baled forage pound per pound with pellets or cubes. If a person is feeding 15 lbs of baled forage and wanted to add 5 lbs of pellets without increasing the amount of forage the horse receives in a day, then simply feed 10 lbs of baled forage and 5 lbs of pellets or cubes. The horse will still be getting his 15 lbs of forage a day.

Please download our animal feeding instructions to see the recommended feeding rates for goats and other animals. The table shows forage and beet pulp feeding rate recommendations for horses, goats, sheep, alpacas, bison, camels, cattle, deer, elk, llamas and pigs.