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I was using the Standlee and was ordering them through Chewy.com, they were $13 per bag delivered to my door. Great! Then they randomly went up to $24 a bag! Ugh! Now they want $28... crazy. And they had the nerve to charge me for the product without informing my of a price change. Well it worked out cause they refunded me and I got the last 4 bags for free. But then I had to find another supplier.
I think Standlee are still around $13-$14 at my local TS last time I was there. The Dumor are definitely of a different quality. Lots of dust and the pellets are less green, more brown. Those are close to the same price, but there's 10lbs more, or 20% more. When I calculated my costs the most recent time I couldn't afford the Standlee ones anymore. I've been feeding the Dumor ones since then, and on occasion when I've run out I've gotten ASI (Alfalfa Supply Inc) but those are $16 for a 50lb bag at my local store, and they smell weird to me. Though I have to say there was no noticeable difference to the horses between the Standlee and the Dumor.
I think the best deal is if you can find a mill and buy them direct, maybe even in 55gal drums and you can buy a few hundred #'s at a time. A local feed store that buys from a mill might be able to order something like that for you. Mine did before I moved and I haven't tried to find another mill since then, but probably should look around.
I'm worried these prices are going to keep going up by $1 a bag here or there... It will be hard for me to make that work.
I have been stalking this thread today as I feed Standlee products but not as a replacer for hay or have to deal with horses with major dental issues.
I too order my pellets from Chewy.com because it was a $1/bag cheaper plus less fuel driving 2 hours round trip to get them. (Before we moved last month)
When you mentioned the price hike at chewy, I had to go look, yikes! I canceled my automatic shipments!!!
I live a few minutes from Standlee and the bags average $13 here. Someone mentioned the bentonite clay used to bind the cubes, I don't "think" Standlee uses it. But I know who to call to ask. It was my understanding that was the older method of binding and caused a lot of choke issues, hence why soaking was so important. Obviously, for Anita, she would still have to soak for Herbie because of his dental issues.
Also, something to think about for a horse who was most likely being fed balloon bread because it's cheap which has a lot of starch and sugar, he might be protesting a bit to eating a cleaner diet. Much like a kid eating nothing but chips and pop and stuffing a plate of broccoli in front of him.
I believe in the past on this forum I had complained my horses turned their noses up at the alfalfa and beet pulp pellets from Standlee. It took a couple of months weaning them off the complete feed(Purina Senior) onto straight alfalfa and beet pulp pellets to feed their supplements. Now they love it.
Maybe give some of the senior/complete mixed in with the chopped hay, pellets, cubes or whatever you decide to go at each meal rather than once a day. So he gets some of the sweetness with each feeding encouraging him to clean it all up?
Anyhow, Anita, he's a nice looking horse and I'm glad he landed softly with you :)