Archive for July, 2019

Honor Show Chow Seminar

Monday, July 29th, 2019
Aug ’19
17
9:00 am

Join us for our Honor Show Chow Seminar on August 17, 2019! This event is from 9:00-11:00 AM at our 1501 Eastern Ave location. Samantha is excited to lead this informational workshop and kick start show season! Some of the topics we are discussing are knowing when to transition Honor Show Chow feeds throughout the duration of the process, which supplements to include in their regiment, and helpful tips to prepare your steer for the show ring. Samantha’s demonstration will highlight the target areas you should focus on improving before the final weigh-in. Make sure you come prepared to learn!

Some of the Purina Honor Show Chow products include Full Control, Full Range, Fitter’s Edge, and Finishing Touch. These are the most crucial feeds to provide to your growing calf. Don’t worry, Samantha will talk about them all! Also, an important supplement to remember is Purina High Octane. These ingredients are beneficial to overall health. For more details on these feeds, please visit here.

You won’t want to miss out on the information prepared for our Honor Show Chow Seminar! In order to have enough room for everyone, please let us know you are planning to attend. Please RSVP here.

    Managing Your Horse’s Gastric Health

    Thursday, July 25th, 2019

    Gastric discomfort may negatively affect a horse’s health, attitude, and performance. Check out these tips to manage your horse's gastric health.Gastric discomfort may negatively affect a horse’s health, attitude, and performance. Fortunately, recognizing signs of discomfort and providing proper management can help support your horse’s gastric health.

    Did you know that the prevalence of gastric discomfort in active horses is high? Studies indicate that the prevalence of gastric ulcers in performance horses is 90% or more1

    What causes gastric discomfort in horses?

    As grazing animals, horses are made to steadily eat a forage-based diet throughout the course of an entire day. This constant slow-feed intake naturally regulates the acidity of the horse’s stomach contents. Additionally, the saliva a horse generates through chewing naturally buffers the acid.

    Modern horse-keeping practices often limit feeding to two or three daily meals. Unless a horse is turned out to graze or barn staff frequently refills the hay supply, the horse doesn’t receive more hay until the next feeding.
    Even though the horse isn’t eating, his stomach still produces acid. Without chewing, there isn’t a steady source of saliva and natural enzymes to help protect the stomach. An overabundance of acid and a lack of saliva means the stomach’s natural pH level drops too. These factors create the trifecta for gastric discomfort.

    Stress can also put horses at a greater risk for gastric discomfort. Rigorous exercise, long-distance travel, a new environment, and confinement can contribute to lower gastric pH levels.

    What are the signs of gastric discomfort in horses?

    Gastric discomfort can present differently in individual horses. Common signs of equine gastric discomfort include:

    • Poor appetite
    • Picky eating
    • Poor body condition
    • Weight loss
    • Chronic diarrhea
    • Poor coat condition
    • Teeth grinding (bruxism)
    • Changes in behavior, including aggression, nervous behaviors, side biting and “girthiness”
    • Acute or recurring colic
    • Poor performance

    How to manage a horse with gastric discomfort

    Research has shown continuous acid production and low gastric pH can contribute to the development of gastric ulcers and Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS)1. Fortunately, there are things you can do to minimize your horse’s risk for developing EGUS and manage a horse with gastric discomfort.

    1. Recognize factors or events known to cause gastric discomfort in horses.

    Some factors include:

    • Environment stressors
    • Lack of turnout
    • Injury
    • Fasting
    • High starch diets
    • Inadequate forage
    • Prolonged use of NSAIDs
    • Travel
    • Elevated exercise, training, showing or racing

    2. Recognize the signs of gastric discomfort in horses.

    Common signs are listed above, but individual horses present discomfort in different ways. Become familiar with your horse’s normal behavior to help determine if behavior changes are a sign of discomfort.

    3. When to seek help from your veterinarian.

    Work with your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment if you recognize risk factors or symptoms. Gastroscopy is the only way to confirm the presence of gastric ulcers, and prescription acid suppression therapy may be required to heal ulcerations. If treatment is necessary, work with your veterinarian to determine the best medication for your horse.

    4. Manage gastric discomfort.

    Develop a management program to minimize the factors contributing to gastric discomfort. Provide ample turnout and continuous access to fresh water. Anticipate stressful events, such as traveling or showing, and use Purina® Outlast® Gastric Supplement to support and maintain gastric health and proper pH during those times.

    5. Horse nutrition.

    Choosing the right feed products and implementing good feeding management practices are vital in managing your horse’s gastric health.

    • Never allow more than six hours of fasting and provide frequent access to good quality hay and/or pasture.
    • Incorporate alfalfa into your horse’s diet.
    • Feed higher fat and fiber concentrates and avoids high starch and sugar feeds. The Purina horse feed lineup includes many appropriate options
    • Support optimal gastric pH by feeding Purina® Outlast® Gastric Support Supplement along with concentrate meals. In addition, feed Outlast®1 supplement as a snack before you ride, trailer or show to maximize gastric support during these activities.
    • For horses needing more calories, Purina® Ultium® Gastric Care and Race Ready® GT horse feeds both contain a full serving of Outlast® supplement and are designed to support gastric health and caloric needs of performance and racehorses. Strategy® GX  and Strategy® Healthy Edge® and Impact® Professional Performance horse feeds now also all contain Purina® Outlast® Gastric Support Supplement.

    By recognizing the signs associated with gastric discomfort and adjusting management and dietary practices, you can help support your horse’s gastric health. Learn more about Outlast® supplement and your horse’s gastric health at FeedOutlast.com.

     Source: Kelly Vineyard, M.S., Ph.D., Senior Nutritionist, Equine Technical Solutions

    Summer Forage for Cattle

    Monday, July 8th, 2019

    Summer Forage for CattlePasture looks excellent right now, so why pay attention to forage for cattle?

    There are simple things you can do to make the most of summer forage for cattle today and further on down the road:

    1. Implement a grazing plan

    Rotational grazing gives pastures a rest compared to grazing them continuously. You can rotate cattle between pastures as often as once a day to as little as once a month. Either way, rotational grazing can help ensure the quality and quantity of forage for cattle throughout summer. Simply splitting a cattle pasture in half can help.

    2. Consider soil fertility

    Just like you need to look at cattle requirements each winter and determine if you need to supplement, the same holds true for soil. Work with an agronomist to test your soil. Test results will tell you if you need to fertilize to combat gaps in soil fertility.

    Remember, soil fertility will impact not only forage quantity but will also influence quality – especially protein. What your cattle eat is a direct result of soil fertility.

    3. Hone in harvest

    There’s no “right” time to harvest crops. Harvest typically occurs when there’s a happy medium of quantity and quality. Time harvest to match the quality of forage desired. Keep in mind that as forage for cattle matures digestibility and protein tend to drop. Also look at ways to minimize leaf loss and consider the use of a preservative to help with forage storage.

    4. Manage cattle pasture quality decline

    As you get into July and August, forage for cattle matures and pasture quality declines. You may need to supplement to meet cattle requirements. Supplementation is especially vital in spring-calving herds with cows still lactating. Don’t overlook calves; as cattle pasture quality declines, consider offering calves supplemental creep feed.

    Fast fact: Providing creep feed to calves as pasture quality declines in late summer can help offset a nutritional gap. A creep feed program using Intake Modifying Technology® can efficiently assure calves reach their genetic potential for gain. 

    Does your nutrition program stack up? Find out with a Proof Pays feeding trial.

     

    Source: Chad Zehnder, Ph.D., Field Cattle Consultant

    Beekeeping: is it for me?

    Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019
    Aug ’19
    7
    6:00 pm

    Beekeeping: is it for me?

    Join us for our “Beekeeping: is it for me?” seminar! It is a free event at 1501 Eastern Avenue on August 7, 2019, from 6-7:30 PM. Come by to see if beekeeping could potentially be a new hobby, interest, or business for you! Our guest speaker, Jessica Sullivan is an Agriculture Educator with UF IFAS Extension and is an avid backyard beekeeper. Her knowledge will be beneficial to you and your family. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and learn from an expert.

    Some of the topics we’re discussing are startup costs, legal aspects, physical requirements, equipment, risks, and hive maintenance just to name a few. It’s important to really know what you’re getting into before you dive into the hive. Looking for supplies? No worries! We have a full stock of necessary products to get you started at the store. Stop by and browse our selection today. We are very excited to introduce beekeeping to our community.

    Make plans to attend our “Beekeeping: is it for you?” seminar as soon as possible! RSVP below. Can’t wait to see what all the buzz is about, see you there!

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