I bet the source of some/all of the V/M will change. No use in using multiple suppliers (of course they have a backup, but the main supplier is usually just one to lock in competitive prices).
I had a surprisingly good SmartPak autoship experience this week! I donāt use actual SmartPaks and have not had regular autoship orders in the past, but recently started an autoship for a bag of spirulina. I realized I was going to run out of the first bag before the second bag arrived so on Sunday I moved my autoship date up to Monday. I definitely didnāt expect it to ship on Monday and figured it might take most of a week to process. To my great surprise, they charged me Monday, it shipped on Tuesday, and it just arrived today! I did have issues with them in 2021ish (not autoship-related, but super slow fulfillment and return processing) and stopped ordering from them much for a while, so I am pleased to report a positive experience.
They also recently provided me with good customer service by offering free shipping when I called to tack a lower-valued but not lightweight (8 lbs) item onto an order I had just placed, even though the order had already processed and the items shipped separately. So kudos for that too!
What did you find out about their vitamin E? I feed my horses the ānaturalā vitamin e Smartpak pellets but I have heard several things from others about this product not being that great.
I didnāt investigate with CalTrace. I wonāt order from a company thatās blatantly dishonest about something that can impact my horseās health.
I donāt know anything about SmartPakās version.
the issue is that Vit E combined with copper (in a supplement, not simply just fed together) without any protection from an oil, is going to degrade. So, donāt count on the E in products like CT/P. Vermont Blend/Pro doesnāt have any E in it for this very reason.
If thereās no copper, itās not a problem. If thereās copper, but also some sort of fat, itās fine
For what itās worth, I have no problems with shipping from Smartpak (smartpaks, bulk supplements, regular horse tack/grooming/barn supplies). Iāve ordered multiple times per month since September and always quick shipping.
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The California Trace Plus has vegetable oil listed in the ingredients but the regular CT doesnāt
" Ingredients: Yeast Culture, Rice Bran, L-Lysine Hydrochloride, L-Threonine, Vegetable Oil, D,L-Methionine, Zinc Polysaccharide Complex, Copper Polysaccharide Complex, Vitamin E Supplement, Biotin, Cobalt Polysaccharide Complex, Selenium Yeast, Vitamin A Supplement, Ethylene Diamine Dihydroiodide (Iodine), Naturally preserved with mixed tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Lecithin, Natural & Artificial Flavoring"
I wonder if thatās a newer addition, as it was CTP that was the biggest problem - way too many horses coming up deficient after being on CTP and not having additional E added specifically because of how much is in there. People on regular CT tended to supplement E since thereās a lot less in it.
I have no idea when they started including it. Iāve been feeding it for years but have always added additional natural vitamin E. I took Dr. Kellonās course over a decade ago and I believe even back then she suggested supplementing with extra E even if it was included in a supplement
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I was thinking about this thread earlier today, as I picked up a container of Devilās Claw from Tractor Supply, that is still in the Uckele packaging:
Has the buyout actually happened yet?
I could be wrong, but I donāt think Smartpak is killing off the Uckele brand entirely? It would be a dumb move, thereās great recognition. They may just be discontinuing some specific products that they feel are too similar to their own high volume high margin productsā¦
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Did you check the date on that container? TSC has been known to leave feed out on the floor for 6+ months at a time, so I wouldnāt be surprised if they had supplements (which move in very small volumes) that were years old.
Always check the date code on any feed or supplement you buy at TSC, Rural King, etc.
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Uckele products sold by Smartpak are still using the same packaging as they did before, short of them rebranding into a Smart-whatever product, I donāt expect them to change it since they currently listed as āUckele by Smartpakā.
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Based on my sleuthing of trademark records, it seems that the Uckele entity is still in business (although relocated) and maintaining its trademarks. My guess is it is now a subsidiary of Smartpak and not being done away with entirely.
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This makes sense as to why Uckele jiaogulan powder was unavailable for months last year. A Google search now brings me to SmarkPak for it, and it is now in SmartPak packaging and more expensive.
All the unavailability and folderol has me now buying from The Mad Barn.
I switched mostly to Mad Barn except I love the way my horses respond to Arthroxigen and Mad Barn does not have anything similiar. I also like the CocoHoof.
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I did for exactly that reason, and itās BB 05/2026
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THIS!!! Chewy started doing this too. I want to tell them that I work and get a paycheck, not a trust fund, so I need them to charge and deliver on the DATES THAT I PREARRANGE not a week or 3-5 days earlier. I stopped using Smartpak because of this and I micromanage my Chewy account now.
Does anyone know if thereās a product or there thatās similar to Uckele Equi Sweet? Looks like itās out of stock at Smartpak and wondering if this means it is basically discontinued.
