Small Animal FAQs

It is not the “cutting” of long stem forage that is important; rather it is the quality. As forages grow taller and become more mature, they decrease in nutrient quality. All Standlee forage is harvested at optimum maturity to ensure high quality products for your small companion animal.

In an ongoing effort to reduce the packaging used for our products, we removed the inner liner from our boxed small animal loose forage items. The change will save over 10,000 pounds of plastic from entering the supply chain. Each step we take to reduce single-use waste is another step toward sustainability, and we appreciate your support of our effort.

The change does not impact our forage's freshness, quality, or nutritional value as long as stored correctly. Proper storage includes keeping the product dry and unexposed to the elements. Simply reclosing our specially designed box helps keep our forage dry and free from contamination.

Instructions on how to reclose the box are printed on the top flap.

The fine material is leaf and blades of grass. These are actually the most “nutrient-rich” portions of the plant and they will benefit your small animal.

All plants are grown in dirt and when harvested lie on the ground to dry. It is possible that a very small amount of dirt may end up in bagged long stem forage products. However, this is a very small amount of dirt and would be similar to the amount taken in if the animal were grazing the forage in the wild.

Standlee Premium Products utilizes very little pesticide or herbicide in the growing of our premium forage products. The use of irrigation and forage crop rotation prevents most weeds and insects.

The Standlee Premium Products “Grab and Go” bales are certainly high enough quality for your companion animal, but the volume of forage in this package size is not convenient for small animals. This large amount of forage would be difficult to store and result in waste when utilized for small animals. The convenient small bags of forage packaged for companion animals minimize waste and storage issues.

The forage utilized for the bagged small animal products is hand selected to be visually the highest nutrient quality. Typically, this high visual quality will translate into a slightly higher nutrient content compared to the “Grab and Go” compressed products.

Yes. Alfalfa is actually the forage of choice for pregnant and lactating rabbits as well as young, growing rabbits. Alfalfa contains a higher calorie and protein content compared to grass forages. Alfalfa can also benefit older rabbits and underweight rabbits to regain and maintain muscle and adequate body weight.

All small companion animals should eat a manufactured pelleted feed intended specifically for that type of animal. These manufactured pellets contain critical added minerals and vitamins that are not in adequate amounts in long stem forage. Long stem forage is beneficial to add to the diets of small animals as an additional source of nutrients and a mechanism to eliminate boredom and maintain proper dental health. The amount of supplemental long stem forage that should be added depends on the animal but typically ranges from 20 – 30% of the total diet.

No. Timothy is not fortified with essential minerals and vitamins that are necessary to keep small companion animals healthy. Simply stated, timothy will not provide adequate nutrition for long term health. Timothy can be fed along with fortified pellets designed for that animal type.

While SPWF pellets and cubes are both very high quality, neither is fortified with added vitamins or minerals that are necessary for the health of small companion animals. These animals require a fortified pellet specifically formulated for the type of small companion animal being fed rather than simply a high quality forage pellet.

First, the small companion animal should be provided the recommended amount of a commercially prepared fortified pelleted diet specific for its nutritional needs. Then long stem forage can be supplemented to provide additional energy, protein and fiber. The long stem forage is also a benefit with respect to maintenance of dental health and elimination of boredom. Typically, small companion animals are offered between 20 and 30% of their diet as supplemental long stem forage. This should be provided in small amounts on daily basis to eliminate waste.

Small companion animals do benefit from small amounts of long stem forage. It is essential to maintain dental health, eliminate boredom and provide critical fiber for normal digestive function.