Deworming

We do our best to help keep you all informed on preventative measures and since October is a great time to deworm your horse, we thought it would be a great time to discuss why and how.

A horse's immune system cannot fight off a parasite on its own. If left untreated, these parasites can become debilitating to a horse or maybe even fatal.

This is where regular deworming treatments can protect your horse from these unwanted little creatures. Parasite treatments are very easy to use. If you have not already started your horse on a regimen, now is a good time to start and head off parasites before they become an issue.

A dewormer regimen rotating with different dewormers can treat the parasites in different cycles of development so that the parasite does not have a chance to develop immunity. A standard plan includes bi-annual Ivermectin and in-between treatments with a different dewormer. All the varieties are available at FELDMANS Farm & Home, with multiple options for treatment including pre-loaded oral syringes and pellets or liquid that is added to a horse's feed.

Most of the time owners deworm their horses and still rely on their veterinarian for examinations and annual vaccinations. Ivermectin is usually given in April and October and should be given before the frost is out of the ground and the parasites are active again. During the fall, you should administer after a good hard freeze.

Foals can begin their deworming at 6 weeks old. If your horse has never been dewormed, then you want to start with a half a dose and build up to a full dose in 4-6 weeks. If administered this way, it will help prevent the horse from getting colicky.

Now, there are different forms of Ivermectin having the same active ingredient designed to target the broad array of parasites. In addition, some Ivermectin is available with an extra defense against tapeworm. Between Ivermectin treatments, you should rotate other active ingredients such as Moxidectin, Strongid P, or Praziquantel.

This month our Ivermectin Apple Paste Dewormer, curing up to a 1,250 lb horse is $2.99.

Greenest Lawn in the Neighborhood!

Have you ever really wondered about fertilizers and which ones to use?

This blog is to inform you on the three fertilizers we carry at FELDMANS Farm & Home.

We carry three brands of fertilizers, Scotts, Gordons, and T & N.

From Scotts we handle 3 levels of fertilizer. They are Lawn Pro, Super Turf Builder, and the Scotts Best 4 Step Program. The products mentioned above are in order from good, better, and best.

From T & N we stock 13-13-13, which is used to give your grass a quick green up. 46-0-0 is most commonly used in the Spring but is recommended for use during the winter to give your grass nitrogen before needed.

Now, there are three important ingredients in each bag of fertilizer. Before I explain, I will give you an example to relate to. Scotts Lawn Pro Crabgrass Preventer has a combination of 26-0-3. The first number '26' represents the parts of nitrogen contained in the fertilizer. Nitrogen does for grass the same that caffeine does for us!! WAKE UP!! Nitrogen gives the grass a quick boost of energy. It will help to green up the grass and increase the growth rate. Too much nitrogen applied to a new seed can cause the seed to "burn out" before it is properly germinated and rooted. Much like if you give caffeine to an infant. WHAAA! An infants body is not going to handle the extreme boost of energy and it could cause adverse side effects. Also, during the hot dry summer months, inadequate amounts of water can cause nitrogen burn and hurt your yard.

Scotts uses a patented technology called 'the All-In-One Particle', where they combine all ingredients of the fertilizer into 1 granular. In addition, the granular is not water-soluble and will only break down when in contact with the soil. This allows the fertilizer to last longer and adequately feed the yard for 6-8 weeks. It also reduces the chance for nitrogen burn. Think of it as a "time release" fertilizer. This characteristic is unique to Scotts and nothing as effective will be found in any other brand of fertilizer.

The second number in the Lawn Pro Crabgrass Preventer is '0'. This is phosphorus which is important for root establishment. Strong roots are important for all grass. A strong root system will help grass to survive heat, drought and cold winters. Phosphorus is vital when planting new grass seed. Most phosphorus numbers in fertilizers are low, with the exception being starter fertilizers. Scotts starter fertilizer has a phosphorus number of '27'.

The final number in the lawn Pro Crabgrass Preventer is '3' This is potassium or potash. The potassium or potash helps to strengthen the blade of the grass against drought, fungus and insects. It does not treat fungus or insects, but helps the plant from being defeated when attacked by insects or fungus, or during a drought. It does for grass the same that vitamins do for us. Vitamins will not treat a sickness, but they will help to keep you from getting sick and make it easier for you to fight a sickness.

The differences between Scotts good, better, and best fertilizers are the levels of fertilizer in each product, mainly nitrogen. Nitrogen gives the grass its greening and growing power. With higher levels of nitrogen and the all-in-one particle, you will receive a better feeding for your yard with a time release characteristic.

All 3 families of fertilizers that we carry are unique to the independent retailer. This means that the exact same products will not be found in Home Depot, Lowes, or Wal-Mart. The box stores will stock Scotts Turf Builder line only. This product is similar to our Super Turf Builder line, except the Super Turf Builder is higher in nitrogen and thus a fertilizer that will provide a better feeding and better yet is the Step Program. Those other stores may have a good price, but the quality is NOT the same! Same situation with our Lawn Pro Series which is lower in nitrogen and will usually retail for less than what the box stores are offering.

Now, as for the types of Scotts we offer, we have crabgrass preventer plus fertilizer, weed and feed, early summer fertilizer, and late summer/fall fertilizer. These products are applied in a four-step process with the first step being the crabgrass preventer plus fertilizer. Crabgrass Preventer plus fertilizer is a product that is applied in early Spring BEFORE the crabgrass germinates. This product will NOT kill actively growing crabgrass. This product can be applied to wet or dry grass and does not need to be watered in. You still have time to apply this product, but we are nearing the end of the application window.

The second step, which can be applied as soon as early Spring and as late as Fall, but is usually applied mid-late Spring, is Weed and Feed. This product is a fertilizer plus a broadleaf weed KILLER (not preventer.) This product will NOT kill actively growing crabgrass, as crabgrass is not a broadleaf weed. It is most commonly used to kill dandelions. This product should be applied to wet or damp grass, as the weed killer needs to stick to the weeds. Do NOT water this product or apply if it is expected to rain. The weed-killing ingredient used with this product is 2-4, D, which is the mot commonly used broad leaf weed killer.

The third step is an early summer fertilizer. The third step USED should be a fertilizer plus insecticide, but Scotts found that most homeowners preferred to apply their own insecticide, so they reformulated this product to be an early summer fertilizer only.

All of the Scotts fertilizers we carry are available in 5,000 sq ft or 15,000 sq ft bags (14,000 sq ft in starter fertilizer)

We also carry Gordon's liquid fertilizer in 3 varieties. 10-10-10 all purpose fertilizer, 15-0-0 Weed and Feed, and 20-0-0 all nitrogen fertilizer. All of these products come in a 2 1/2 gallon container and when mixed and used as recommended, they will cover 15,000 sq ft. 13-13-13, 46-0-0, and liquid Gordons fertilizer are excellent product to use unless you are looking for a long term time release fertilizer, then you will need Scotts.

Just come in and ask should you have any questions. We will help you become the expert so you will have the best looking lawn on the block. Just think.....wouldn't it feel great to have the neighbors asking you how YOU did it?

Winter Equine Feeding and Care

Winter Equine Feeding and Care

During the winter, most horses will have changes in their nutritional needs. Cold weather, which doesn’t permit riding, can dramatically alter the amount of calories a horse needs to consume. Some simple, general tips can help to keep your horse in great shape over the winter.

Spending more time in the stall and less riding usually means that a horse will need fewer calories. Then again, in colder weather, a horse burns more calories to generate body heat and maintain its normal core temperature. It’s important to know, however, that in all but the most extreme weather, a horse’s caloric needs generally rise only ten to twenty percent.

In the past, horse owners fed corn during the winter to help horses generate more body heat and reduce the stress of cold weather. However, a horse is able to generate more heat in the hindgut from the fermentation of forage, such as hay and grass. Replacing some of the horse’s grain concentrate with hay can help it to more easily maintain its body temperature. We currently stock brome, timothy, and alfalfa that can serve as forage for the horse.

One way to do this is to substitute two pounds of hay for each reduced pound of grain fed daily. When less than half a percent of the horse’s body weight is fed daily in grain, consider supplementing with a premium feed. This ensures that the horse is still receiving the right amounts of vitamins and minerals at the reduced feeding rate. For instance, a good winter ration for a mostly idle horse might be seventeen pounds of quality grass hay and two pounds of premium feed. This combination meets 110% of a mature horse’s caloric needs, as well as ensuring it receives the right protein, mineral, and vitamins. Feed a premium feed such as Life Design Mare and Foal, Prime, Senior, Safechoice, Equine Junior, Senior, or Strategy. Avoid feeding Life Deign Compete and Omolene 200 if the horse is receiving little to no activity, as these feeds are high in protein and could contain too many calories for an idle horse.

When the cold weather begins, horse owners can notice a greater frequency of impaction colic. One of the main causes of impaction colic can be dehydration from reduced water consumption, inadequate water availability, and eating hay (which only contains 10% water) rather than green summer grass, which contains 80% water. Making sure that horses have good access to unlimited warm water can help encourage horses to drink more and prevent impaction colic. When a horse drinks cold water, they must use extra energy to replace the heat lost to the chilling water, and they instinctively drink less. A good add on product for any horse owner would be a stock tank de-icer and/or bucket heater. Adequate water intake ensures that the fiber in the digestive system stays hydrated, which allows it to be broken down by intestinal bacteria. This makes it much less likely to cause blockages. Adding a free-choice mineral supplement or mixing salt, mineral supplements, and electrolytes into a horse’s feed can also simulate a horse to drink more water. We stock horse protein blocks from Manna Pro, salt from Cargill and electrolytes from Farnam. Providing adequate exercise also reduces colic by helping to aid gut motility.

Because an unclipped horse’s winter coat can make it difficult to check the horse’s body condition, the owner should use a weight tape or scale monthly to check the horse’s weight. We stock horse weight tapes from Syrvet. This allows the owner to adjust the feeding program as needed and to keep the horse in peak physical condition and ready for warmer weather.

Finally, pay attention to the barn’s ventilation. Good airflow is even more vital than warmth to horses kept in a closed barn. Also, care should be taken when feeding hay to horses kept in enclosed barns. Horses that are fed hay from nets above their heads have more frequent respiratory problems than horses that eat hay from the ground or from hay nets hung low enough to allow the respiratory tract to drain down. We carry a couple of different hay feeding bags and the Grazor from Double L that can be used to feed hay to your horse. However, be careful not to have the nets hung so low that a horse can get its legs tangled in them.