Is anyone having issues with a brand name, chopped alfalfa hay, having excessive dust (Maybe mold!) i can’t find there are recalls or complaints. Just wanted check with the horse community.
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If it is moldy, take a picture of contents and batch #/ use by date and contact manufacturer. If it is dusty sprinkle with water. I use Triple Crown and have not had any issues recently.
Thank you, Bonnie2 ! I contacted the company. Standlee, and they said its prob dust… I hadnt had issues in the past. But this dust hangs in the air for about a 30 sec to a minute after being disturbed. I had my Sis sniff it (she had a better nose) and she did not smell mold, said it smelled good.
If I was to switch to another chopped alfalfa, the problem is there does not seem to be any like products in stock, In stores.
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FWIW, I see more complaints abut Standlee than any other brand. I’m sure some f that is because they’re a national brand, but still… I’ve seen way too many people now, from all over the US, switching brands because of repetitive issues like rocks, twine, and mold. YMMV
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I just bought 3 bags of Standlee chopped timothy and the quality has tanked. It is 3/4 fine chaff with a little hay. No mold. It’s nothing like the Standlee chopped hay I’ve been feeding.
I think they are skimping on quality control since they have gotten so big. They are probably buying from any number of producers/farmers instead of just selling what they grow. Maybe this was always the case but I have bought $$$hay with weeds in it, full of stems, mold, etc. I have gotten western hay better than what they sell for a lot less money. Still expensive - but not their prices. But then - it did not have a plastic bag with handles. I would rather spend the money on hay quality.
They bale that hay at very low moisture levels in a very dry environment which contributes to leaf shatter and dust. And sometimes they cut low and that brings up some dirt into the bale. Add in that they are probably taking big bales and reprocessing them into bags of chopped hay. That adds leaf shatter. If it is just dust - I would wet the hay down and feed it that way. You can usually smell mold so if it smells good it is probably just dust.
I were a mask when serving Standlee. And also with Ametza, which seems to be even dustier. I appreciate though, that the dust is hay particles and not mold.
I just got a message back from Standlee saying it’s “normal variation as their hay is a natural product” but they did want the production number so they can check into it. Looks like floor sweepings to me. Ponies pick out the hay bits and leave a bucket of fluff behind.
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