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Tips for Storing Your Animal Feed Properly

Monday, July 24th, 2023

This month, Triple Crown Feeds shared some tips for storing and using their products correctly, specifically during Summer:

Buy smaller quantities more frequently to reduce sit time.
Be sure to always feed older bags first.
Store bags off the ground in a cool, dark location away from direct sunlight and weather exposure.
Always inspect your feed, forages and supplements at each feeding!

We thought it might be nice to go over the basics for all of your animals’ feed.

As an animal owner, you know the importance of providing your animals with the best possible nutrition. That’s why you take the time to research and choose the right feed. However, all that effort will be for nothing if the feed is not stored properly. Proper storage is essential to keeping your animal feed fresh and protecting it from pests and other contaminants. Here are some tips to help you store your animal feed properly.

Store In A Cool, Dry Place Away From Direct Sunlight

One of the best ways to keep your animal feed fresh is to store it in a cool, dry place. Exposure to sunlight, heat, and moisture can cause the feed to go bad quickly. When selecting a storage area, choose a location that is away from direct sunlight and where air circulation is good.

Keep Bags Of Feed Sealed Tightly

Before storing the feed, make sure to seal the bags tightly. This will keep insects and critters away from the feed and prevent air and moisture from getting inside. Use a clip or seal that is strong enough to keep the bag closed for good measure.

Use Metal Containers To Store Feed, Especially In Areas With Rodents

If you live in an area with rodents, consider storing your animal feed in metal containers. Rats and other rodents can chew through plastic bags quickly and easily, so it’s best to store your feed in a container with a tight-fitting lid that they can’t nibble their way into.

Inspect Bags Of Feed Before Use

Make sure to inspect each bag of feed before you use it. Check for any signs of damage or pests inside the bag. Be sure to discard any bags that look suspicious or if you find pests. If the feed smells off or has a strange odor, it is better not to take any risks and discard it.

Rotate The Feed

Rotation of feed will make sure the feed is always fresh. Use the oldest feed first and keep the newer one in the back. Make sure the feed doesn’t sit in storage past the expiration date. Storing expired feed can be harmful to your animal’s health.

Proper storage of animal feed is essential for keeping your animals healthy and happy. By following these tips, you can help prolong the shelf life of your animal feed and ensure that your animals get the best possible nutrition. Remember, take the time to store your animal feed properly today, for the health and well-being of your animals tomorrow.

Now that you’ve read the Tips for Storing Your Animal Feed Properly, check out Kissimmee Valley Feed’s animal products here.

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Getting Started Showing

Monday, July 17th, 2023

Getting Started Showing: There are many factors that will insure a positive and rewarding result from a show project, but there is no arguing the importance of a proper, hassle free start. Here are 5 very important items to insure the opportunity for a positive start.

Housing:

No matter the species, proper housing is key. Insuring a draft free and dry place to get refuge is essential during the cooler months. Heat lamps are an aid in keeping smaller animals warm but at no time is a totally enclosed facility with stale air acceptable as it promotes sickness. On the contrary, during warm seasons, animals need shade from the sun and a place to stay cool. Access to fresh, clean water is also a must as it is critical to maintain a healthy animal.

Selection:

Always chose an animal that’s age and weight will be optimal to the industry and showring, while complying with the rules of the show. Seek advice from a reputable breeder, Ag Agent, or seasoned veteran for assistance to select the correct animal.

Feeding:

Starting you project with proper nutrition is a must. All show feeds have a suggested feeding information to match the needs of genetics and age to maximize results. Keep feed fresh and encourage a strict feeding schedule to promote a consistent appetite. Feed their potential.

Daily Care:

It is very important to work with animals daily to train them to be show animals. Routine exercise, brushing, and mimicking “show day” will not only keep your animals relaxed and prepared for the big day, but will also increase your showmanship skills at the same time.

Vet Care:

If your animal ever refuses to eat or appears to be sick, always keep a thermometer handy and the contact information to a qualified veterinarian. They will always ask some preliminary questions and body temperature will be a vital one for diagnosis and treatment.

In conclusion, for more tips on Getting Started Showing, visit Kissimmee Valley Feed. Check out our Show Feed Selection here.

Article Source: Nutrena’s Blog

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11 Tips to Curb Heat Stress in Cattle

Wednesday, July 12th, 2023

Water, shade and the right nutrition can help mitigate heat stress in cattle.

The weather report says it’s going to be a scorcher, and sure enough – the temperatures start steadily climbing. Cattle start grouping in shady spots. A few cows start panting to stay cool. The flies settle in. And, suddenly, you’ve got a herd struggling with heat stress.

The heat may be unavoidable, but you can take proactive steps to mitigate its impact on your herd. First, let’s look at the dangers of heat stress in cattle.

When temperatures rise

Cattle have sweat glands, but it’s not a very efficient way for them to cool off. Instead, they rely on respiration, or opening their mouths and panting, to help them dissipate heat. When it’s 80 degrees or hotter out, their ability to regulate their own temperature becomes a big challenge. You start to see behavior changes – more time in the shade, less time grazing and increased water consumption.

To make the heat even more challenging:

A cow’s rumen activity naturally increases body heat. Fermentation occurs in the rumen, producing heat as bacteria break down and digest forages.
Cattle seek shade to help keep cool. Grouping up in the shade sometimes has the reverse effect and creates a lot of radiant heat between cows. The thermometer might read 90 degrees, but the temperature in the middle of the group could be much hotter.
Crowded cattle attract more flies, causing animals to move even closer together to protect themselves.
Animals with dark hides have a higher risk of suffering heat stress than those with lighter-colored hides.

Suddenly your herd feels overheated and cattle are less likely to graze.

When grazing stops

Forage is the number one nutrition source for cows on pasture. If they aren’t grazing as much during a heatwave, they’re probably not meeting their cattle nutrition requirements.

When cows don’t get adequate nutrition, they’re at risk of:

Losing body condition
Taking longer to rebreed
Producing less milk for their growing calf
Generating a weaker immune response to health challenges
Long-term fertility consequences

If cattle are too hot to graze, they may also be too hot to consume mineral at target intake levels. If you’re using a fly control mineral and intakes are below target levels, cows no longer benefit from it because they aren’t getting a full dose of fly control.

Curb heat stress in cattle by planning for proper shade, water and the right nutrition program.

11 hot weather tips for cattle

Ensure access to fresh, clean water. A brood cow drinks 25 to 30 gallons of water on a normal day. She’ll drink even more in hot weather.
Check water tanks often to make sure they are clean and free of contamination (algae, feces, organic material, etc.). You might need additional portable tanks to ensure adequate access.
Place water tanks in shaded areas to keep water cool if possible. Keep waterers several feet away from buildings or fences, so cattle can access water from all sides.
Offer supplements to help cows make the most of their forages. Accuration^® Supplements with Intake Modifying Technology^® helps feed necessary rumen microbes to keep cattle eating and encourages snack eating behavior.
Choose a mineral designed for consistent consumption during hot weather, like Purina^®Wind and Rain^® Summer Season Mineral.
Control flies to prevent further stress and grazing disturbance. Purina^®Wind and Rain^® Fly Control Mineral contains Altosid^® IGR, an insect growth regulator offering a beneficial mode of action to deliver fly control via cattle nutrition. Consider Purina^®Wind and Rain^® Fly Control Mineral to stop the horn fly life cycle by preventing pupae from developing into biting, breeding adult flies.
Supply ample shade. Whether it’s provided by trees, a manmade building or portable structures, shade is critical. It might be necessary to move cattle to a pasture with trees or additional shade.
Strategically move rotational grazing herds to fresh pastures in the late afternoon/early evening instead of the morning. Cows will have access to fresh grass when temperatures are beginning to cool and will be more likely to graze.
Work cattle as early in the day as possible when temperatures are lower.
Don’t graze pastures short before moving cows to another. Pastures with taller, thicker grass feels cooler than pastures with short grass where more soil surface is exposed.
Observe cattle frequently and take precautions when hot and humid weather is forecast.

Call or visit Kissimmee Valley Feed to find the right cattle feed and management plan for you!

Article sourced from: Purina

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Basics of Electrolytes for Horses

Monday, July 10th, 2023

Let’s face it, the summer heat takes its toll…know the basics of electrolytes for horses to protect them! Based on the article, horses use their sweat to regulate their body temperature. Equine sweat is more concentrated with salt (sodium and chloride) than other body fluids. In result, horses lose a tremendous amount of electrolytes during these harsh, hot summer months. So what exactly are electrolytes? They help the body regulate water levels to maintain a balance between dilution and dehydration. There are five major electrolytes. These include sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Understanding how each one affects your horse is vital.

Sodium and Chloride: These two play a factor in maintaining blood volume. They are the first to be released when a horse sweats. Imagine Sodium and Chloride as partners. Sodium leaves the body in sweat first, then water follows.
Potassium: This is one of the most important electrolytes to your horse. It is required for muscle contraction and relaxation. Some horses require more or less than others in their diet but it is still present in a healthy horse.
Calcium: This is essential for muscle function. Without this electrolyte, your horse’s body will break down and become weak.
Magnesium: This is a vital component of body fluids.

Maintaining a balance between these can be tricky. Giving a dehydrated horse concentrated electrolytes can actually worsen conditions. But don’t worry, we have a solution! For starters, all horses should have free-choice access to loose salt or a salt block. Good-quality forage should provide adequate potassium. Together, these feedstuffs should provide sufficient electrolytes for the average horse. For any additional information, see the whole article here.

Presented by Kentucky Equine Research

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Prepare Your Rabbits for Changing Seasons

Friday, July 7th, 2023

Prepare Your Rabbits for Changing Seasons: Temperature can have a profound effect on feed intake in rabbits.

If your rabbits live outside or in non-environmentally controlled buildings, there are management steps you can take to keep them comfortable and healthy year-round.

Keeping rabbits cool in summer:

Rabbits are not good at all at dealing with hot weather, especially if it is humid. Hot, humid weather will severely limit the amount of food a rabbit eats. Digestion of fiber in the cecum of the rabbit produces considerable heat which the rabbit cannot adequately dissipate in hot weather, therefore it eats less. Rabbits cannot sweat and must dissipate heat through the millions of capillaries in their ears and if stressed enough via panting.

A rabbit will get accustomed somewhat to the heat and eventually eat more, however it will never eat as much when it is hot as it does when it is in a comfortable temperature zone. This means that it is very important to feed a high-quality feed that will continue to provide adequate nutrition, even when intake is reduced.

Does must eat considerably more when they are producing milk, because milk production takes a lot of energy. Hot weather can therefore affect the growth of the kits by reducing the amount of food the doe eats, thus decreasing the amount of milk she produces. The weaning weight of kits is typically less in the summer months, and this is true regardless of breed. The kits themselves will then gain less per day than when the temperature is cooler, meaning you will feed your rabbits longer to eventually obtain the desired weight.

To maintain adequate production during hot weather, do everything you can to keep your rabbits comfortable. Be sure they always have plenty of cool, fresh water to drink.

How to keep rabbits cool:

Provide shade. Rabbits should never be forced to be in the hot sun.
Orient hutches to capture breezes or use fans in the rabbitry.
Fill freezer bags with ice (or freeze bottles of water) and place in the hutch. Rabbits will lay on these to cool down.
Keep water clean, cool, fresh and plentiful.
Feed a more nutrient-dense feed to ensure greater nutrient intake in a lesser feed amount.

Unless you have air-conditioned premises for your rabbits, the effects of excessive heat on your rabbits’ feed intake and production capabilities cannot be completely avoided. But if you follow these guidelines, your rabbits will be happier campers when the summer temperatures ratchet up.

Keeping rabbits warm in winter:

Rabbits are fairly well-adapted for dealing with the cold. However, they must eat more to meet the increased energy requirements for keeping warm. Therefore, the amount of feed provided during the winter months will need to be increased – maybe as much as three times. The additional feed is to account for the extra calories spent on maintenance of body temperature.

A little bit of long-stem grass hay will increase heat of fermentation in the cecum. Therefore, helping to keep the rabbit warm. Be sure that your rabbits can get out of cold winds and are protected from rain and snow. Extra bedding can also help to provide warmth. With good protection and adequate feed and fresh water, your rabbits will do very well in the winter months.

In conclusion, visit Kissimmee Valley Feed to shop our Rabbit Selection.

Sources:

Purina Mills

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