Pets Vs. Decorations

Jesse Fulbright, MSU Liberty County Extension

We are in that interim time between Thanksgiving and Christmas where life is hectic and everyone is in the process of beginning to decorate their home.  With the acquisition of two pets recently who are intermittently in the house I have begun to think about how to keep them and our Christmas decorations safe over the next month. 

First, let’s think about things like ribbons, wrapping paper, ornaments, tinsel, extension cords and gifts, which may be may be appealing "chew toys" but which may make your pet sick.  Eating tinsel or other string-like items such as ribbon can cause serious damage to the intestine.  One end can get stuck while the rest is pulled into the intestine as it contracts; the contractions may cause the ribbon or tinsel to saw through the intestine.  If not caught in time, infection of the belly cavity develops and the prognosis for recovery becomes poor.  Pets can quickly become ill with signs including vomiting, diarrhea, depression, belly pain and sometimes fever.  Foreign matter stuck in the intestine often does not show up on "x-ray" but sometimes the foreign matter will trap air in the intestine, which helps the veterinarian make a diagnosis.  Surgery is required to remove foreign matter that does not pass out on its own.

With the numerous lights around Christmas, pay attention to the fact that these lights are another attraction for pets to chew on.  Both indoor and outdoor lights should be carefully examined to ensure safety for your household pets.  Electrical shock may occur from defective cords as well as from pets chewing on cords.  Check cords for any signs of bite marks, loose or frayed wires, proximity to the tree's water supply or evidence of short circuits.  Use grounded "3-prong" extension cords and strictly follow manufacturer's guidelines for light usage.  It may be difficult to curb your pet's fascination with all those pretty decorations.  Child gates can be used across doorways to keep your pet away from the Christmas tree and decorations at times they can’t be watched.  Consider the strategic use of furniture as well.  I’m sure all of us would like to enjoy the Christmas seasonal decorations and keep our pets safe.

Lastly, think about chocolate.  Chocolate can be toxic or even fatal to dogs and cats.  Chocolate poisoning occurs most frequently in dogs but other species are also susceptible. Theobromine is the toxic compound found in chocolate.  The toxicity of chocolate depends on the amount and type of chocolate ingested, with the toxic dose for a 44-pound dog being 3 oz. for unsweetened cocoa, 5 oz. for baking chocolate, 7 oz. for semisweet chocolate, and 20 oz. for milk chocolate.

On a lighter note, for inventive ways to keep your pets safe and still celebrate the holidays visit: 6 cat proof Christmas trees to try out during the holidays

Cow's Body Condition Score will impact calf health and pregnancy rates next year

Earlier than normal snowfall this year may necessitate feeding cows
earlier than normal.  Body condition score at calving impacts calf
vigor and health and cow breed back next year.  Photo by Kari Lewis.

Kari Lewis, MSU Extension – Glacier County

                Recently as I looked through our cows, I was concerned about some of the cows’ body condition scores.  There’s multiple factors that have had a role in our herd’s body condition being lower than I would like to see.  First, this summer’s drought resulted in less forage than normal, then the early October snowstorm hit the cows hard as well.  In addition, our weaning date was later than it should have been, which meant the cows were also lactating longer into the fall, using additional nutrients to support their calf at side.  Not surprisingly, it is our youngest cows who are the thinnest, as they’ve also been trying to grow in addition to supporting their calf and developing fetus. 

                As cows receive nutrition, they first use it for maintenance, then allocate the remaining nutrients to support fetal development, lactation, growth, and lastly, rebreeding.  Thus, if a cow is short on nutrition, the first thing to be impacted is her ability to rebreed.  Therefore, it’s critical that we provide adequate nutrition now to ensure cows are in an acceptable body condition to rebreed next summer. 

A body condition score (BCS) describes the relative fatness or body condition of a cow on a scale of 1 to 9.  A score of 1 means the cow is extremely thin, and a score of 9 indicates a very obese cow.  Each body condition score translates to approximately 70 pounds, so to increase a BCS 4 cow (on December 1) to a BCS 6 cow (by March 1) would require that cow to gain 1.6 pounds per day, not including the increasing weight of her fetus. 

                Why is body condition so critical?  Simply, thin cows take longer to rebreed, produce less colostrum, and give birth to less vigorous calves.  Those calves that are born weak at birth take longer to nurse, have lower immunoglobin levels which lessens their ability to overcome disease, and are ultimately less likely to survive. 

A cow’s BCS at calving is a large indicator of how soon she will rebreed following calving.  A cow that calves in a BCS 5 or 6 averages 55 days following calving until her first heat, while cows that calve in a BCS 3 or 4 average an 80-day post-partum interval.  Knowing that we want those cows to have one or two heat cycles prior to when they are bred, it’s easy to see why thin cows fall out of the herd.  Data from Spitzer et al., 1995 showed that first calf heifers that calved in a BCS 4 had a 56% pregnancy rate after a 60-day breeding season, whereas those heifers that were in a BCS 5 at calving had an 80% pregnancy rate, and there was a 96% pregnancy rate in the heifers that calved at a BCS 6. 

                The period after weaning (when nutrient requirements are decreased) and before the third trimester begins (when nutrient requirements increase again) is the most economical time to add body condition.  By providing adequate nutrition, a windbreak, straw during cold weather, and access to clean, fresh water, we can add condition to the cowherd to meet our breed back goals for next year.  

Here at the MSU Extension office in Glacier county, we can assist you in formulating a ration for your cowherd.  We have two hay probes that can be checked out to sample your hay for a nutrient analysis, and can use ration balancing software to formulate a ration that will meet your cows’ protein and energy needs.  Please call (406) – 873-2239 or e-mail kari.lewis@montana.edu with questions, I’m happy to help!              

Your Turkey is Cooked!

Jesse Fulbright, MSU Liberty County Extension

Thanksgiving is now just a couple of days away, which I’m sure if your home is like mine, has been on everyone’s minds for the past several weeks.  Thoughts of company, upcoming holidays, and food seem to constantly swirl around in conversations.  There are numerous ways out there for people to prepare their main course of turkey for Thanksgiving, from basting, brining and marinating to using roaster ovens, grills, smokers, deep fat fryers, pressure cookers and microwaves.  This week, as our time is short, I wanted to focus on how to cook a turkey the day before serving it.  Perhaps this is considered heresy to some people as the smell, atmosphere and stress of preparing turkey surround the events of the day but you might be looking for another way. 

The following directions from the University of Nebraska, I emphasize again, apply to roasting your turkey one day before your meal.  You’ll want to wait about 20 minutes after removing turkey from the oven to allow the juices to distribute.  Be sure to follow safe procedures for thawing and roasting your turkey before you proceed to this first step.  For more information, go to the USDA Let's Talk Turkey site.

Slice the breast meat but the legs and wings can be left whole.  Place your turkey in shallow containers, limiting the depth to less than 2 inches.  Metal containers cool faster than glass-type pans.  Also, refrigerate any broth saved for making gravy in shallow containers.  Refrigerate the turkey, loosely covered.  You can place loosely covered foods in the refrigerator while still warm.  However, cover tightly when food is completely cooled.

When serving your turkey the next day, the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline advises that cooked turkey may be eaten cold or reheated.  Of course, you’re going to want to reheat your turkey so I would suggest following these recommendations given by the USDA:

In the oven set the temperature no lower than 325° F.  Reheat the turkey to an internal temperature of 165° F.  Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature.  My main concern with reheating is keeping the turkey meat moist.  What is suggested to keep the turkey moist is to add a little broth or water and cover it.  If you are using a microwave, cover your food and rotate it for even heating.  Once again, check the internal temperature of your turkey with a food thermometer to make sure it reaches 165° F.  After that, it’s time to sit back and enjoy your Thanksgiving meal and holiday!

Spotlight on SNAP-ED with Jodi Duncan

There are so many facets to MSU Extension and today I would like to highlight our Nutrition SNAP-ED program.  This is the Montana State University Extension Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – Education, which supports low income Montanans in making the healthy choice the easy choice when it comes to nutrition and physical activity.  We know that 77% of Montana adults do not participate in enough physical activity to meet guidelines, that 74% of Montana adults eat less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, and 29% of Montana children ages 10 to 17 are overweight or obese.  To combat these challenges, SNAP-ED teaches low income youth and adults how to eat, live, learn, work, play, and shop within their communities to make healthier choices. 

Locally, Jodi Duncan is the SNAP-Ed instructor based out of our Glacier county office, with primary responsibilities of serving the Blackfeet Reservation in addition to the Cut Bank and Shelby communities as time permits.  She started this position in September, and has certainly hit the ground running!  In October alone, Jodi taught a total of 30 different classes, which reached 460 individuals!  Jodi has been teaching 1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th graders at the Babb Elementary School, and 9 different classes of 1^st graders at the Vina Chattin Elementary School in Browning.  She has also begun teaching classes here in the Cut Bank schools, and has been working on scheduling classes with the Shelby Elementary School as well. 

Each lesson that Jodi teaches focuses on both nutrition and physical activity.  Students are given the opportunity to sample a healthy food during each class which has exposed many students to fruits and vegetables that they may not normally try.  Some examples of the samplings that students tried last month included whole grain trail mix, vegetable soup, yogurt parfait, and a peanut butter yogurt dip with apples. 

               
Statewide, the MSU Extension Nutrition Education team reached 8,152 Montanans with direct education efforts in this last grant year.  There were 920 adults that participated in the Eating Smart, Being Active series and 7,103 youth that participated in the Youth Understanding MyPlate series in the 1^st, 3^rd, and 5^th grades across Montana. 

              
Thank you to the schools that have partnered with the MSU Extension SNAP-Ed program.  It’s exciting to hear the stories of 1^st graders that want a second helping of vegetable soup, or the kids that see Jodi in the grocery store or tell her that they had their parents pick up a fruit they tried in class!  The SNAP-ED program is just one more way that MSU Extension is making an impact in

Montana.

Kari Lewis, MSU Extension - Glacier County

Trick or Treating Safely!

Jesse Fulbright, MSU Liberty County Extension


The Liberty County Courthouse Employees are all about Halloween!

For children, there don’t seem to be many holidays that exhibit, apart from Christmas, the joy and anticipation of Halloween.  I remember those feelings as well and how exciting it was to dress up and get candy to your heart’s content.  Those days of dressing up as a sailor, Indiana Jones, an elephant, or whatever else I may have fancied may be over (see above for Liberty County Courthouse fun), but the fun lives on through my children.  As that night is tonight, I wanted to pass along a few tips that Extension has about making sure that everyone, parents and youth alike, have a fun and safe Halloween.

First regarding costumes, fabric can easily catch fire if it brushes too close to a candle-lit jack-o'-lantern, so choose flame-resistant costume materials.  Add pieces of reflective tape to make a costume more visible at night, especially if it is dark colors.  If a costume requires a mask or other face covering, you should be able to see clearly and breathe easily.  For increased visibility and safety, consider using face paint or makeup instead of a mask.  Be more visible by carrying candy in a white or brightly-colored bag.  Alternatively, put reflective tape on the bag.

For those that don’t go out with the children, but are at home waiting for youth to stop by, consider using small battery-powered lights inside jack-o'-lanterns instead of candles to reduce the chances of decorations catching fire.  To create a spooky atmosphere, use colored light bulbs or theatrical gels to change the color of your porch light.  Don’t use plastic wrap because it could melt or cause a fire.  If you use cloth, don’t drape it over the bulb, and make sure that it is not touching the bulb at all.  If you do put candles in pumpkins or paper bags, set them back from the walkway, so long costumes will not fall into the flames.  Don’t light candles in cluttered areas, on unsteady furniture, or near curtains and drapes.

If you are answering the door and giving out treats, offer non-candy substitutes such as prepackaged fruit snacks, pretzels, or sealed boxes of raisins.  Treats do not have to be edible—items such as pencils, stickers, or small toys add variety to a trick-or-treater's haul.

For the youth, trick-or-treating alone isn’t safe.  Always go with a group of friends or an adult you trust.  Never go into a house unless your parents are with you.  Avoid darkened houses; only visiting those with a front porch light turned on.  Stay on sidewalks and driveways to avoid damaging plants or tripping over lawn obstacles.  Carry a flashlight, so you can see where you are walking and so others can see you.  Walk on the sidewalk wherever possible, but in areas where there isn’t a sidewalk, walk facing the traffic.

 

The last bit of advice is to have fun, both as parents and children.  These are memories that everyone is creating for a lifetime!

Oh, what can change in a 4-H year!

Kari Lewis
MSU Extension - Glacier County

4-H enrollment is underway, and today, I want to encourage anyone who has been considering joining to stop by your local MSU Extension office for details! 

After participating in archery for the first time
at 4-H camp this summer, Destini added it to her
4-H projects.  4-H archery practice sign ups are
underway, with practice beginning November 2.
Photo by Kari Lewis.

Yesterday, I had a visit from a 10-year-old 4-H member that made me think about just how much she has grown throughout her first year in 4-H.  She moved to the Cut Bank area a little over a year ago, and joined 4-H after a friend urged her to do so.  Neither parent had been involved in 4-H previously, but being new to the community they thought 4-H would be a great way to become involved.  Her first year, she successfully raised a pig and exhibited in cake decorating at the fair. 

This year, she added a sewing project that she can work on with her Grandmother.  She added a baking project, and scrapbooking which will fit well with her role as her club’s reporter and historian.  She had also attended 4-H camp this past summer where she shot archery for the first time, which led her to add that project.  Because she will be taking Hunter’s Safety this spring and her family wants her to learn how to safely use a firearm, she added Air Rifle to her list of projects.  I smiled this morning as I thought about a family that went from no previous 4-H experience and really wondering what they were getting into, to having a daughter enrolled in livestock, cooking, sewing, scrapbooking, and shooting sports projects, who is serving as a club officer, and is also gaining leadership experience by helping with the Cloverbud program. Oh, what can change in just a year of 4-H!

After successfully raising a pig and completing
a cake decorating project in her first year,
Destini has added numerous other projects
to her 4-H list for the coming year. 
Photo by Kari Lewis.

In Glacier county, we have three 4-H clubs that would love to have your son or daughter join them.  Our clubs meet once a month to conduct business, do community service projects, and work together on their various projects. In November, our shooting sports practices begin.  Each week, from November through February 4-Hers will be improving their marksmanship skills, learning self-discipline, safety, and personal responsibility through archery or air rifle practice.  We do have club equipment available for members to use through generous donations.   

Last week, one of the middle school teachers had called and asked if I would come share about 4-H with the 6^th graders.  She commented on how as a teacher she can pick out the 4-Hers as they have developed responsibility, public speaking, and problem-solving skills through 4-H, and she hopes more students can take advantage of those opportunities.  If you are interested in joining 4-H, where we ‘Learn by Doing’ ‘To Make the Best Better,’ please stop by or call your local Extension Office. 

As a side note, our office will be closed next Monday through Thursday as I will be in Bozeman for our MSU Extension Annual Conference, but you can always call or e-mail at kari.lewis@montana.edu if needed.  

Which Pumpkin Do I Pick?

Jesse Fulbright, MSU Liberty County Extension

This time of year pumpkins begin to pop up everywhere and my mind has turned to how to choose the best pumpkin.  But, you may ask, “for what?”  That all depends on whether you are looking for that perfect jack-o’-lantern or that delicious homemade pumpkin pie.

Pumpkins are native to North America and were used by Native Americans before the arrival of Columbus pretty much the same way they are used today — as both decoration and food.  Different pumpkin species and varieties may be used in different ways, but knowing which is best for your specific purpose will give you the most successful outcome.

For most families, purchasing a pumpkin this time of year means pumpkin carving.  Jack-o’-lantern pumpkin varieties possess a uniform color and shape that makes for easy carving.  They have relatively little interior flesh (thin-walled) and a flat bottom so they can sit upright.  While jack-o’-lanterns are excellent for carving, they may not be the best option for cooking.

If you are interested in making your pumpkin pie starting with the pumpkin itself, choose one bred for best taste and texture for cooking.  These might be referred to as “pie pumpkins” or “sugar pumpkins.”  Pie pumpkins look similar to jack-o’-lantern types, and indeed are the same species, but they are a variety selected for traits suitable for cooking.  They tend to be smaller, darker orange and denser (heavier for their size), with a sweeter, less stringy flesh than a larger jack-o’-lantern type.

Another group of pumpkins to consider for fall cooking are blue-green pumpkins, with deep sutures and a somewhat bumpy texture.  These include the so-called fairytale pumpkins, which look as if the wave of a magic wand will turn them into a carriage.  The Fairytale pumpkins are very attractive pumpkins for display, with deep ribs and unique coloration, in shades of beige and green.

Pure pumpkin, whether canned or homemade, is an excellent source of fiber, vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene, an important antioxidant), vitamin C and potassium.  Eating foods rich in beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain cancers and helps protect against heart disease.  Antioxidants also protect the body against the degenerative effects of aging.

So the question remains, is it worth the extra trouble to make your own pumpkin puree rather than buy in the can?  Many people would say the freshness and taste is worth it.  Canned pumpkin has all the health benefits of homemade puree, however.  If buying canned pumpkin, make sure you are getting the pure pumpkin. “Pumpkin pie filling,” also available in a can similar to pure pumpkin, has higher salt and caloric content than pure pumpkin.

One thing you get when you make your own pumpkin puree (or carve a jack-o’-lantern) is seeds!  Cleaned and roasted in the oven, pumpkin seeds are a delicious and healthful snack or crunchy addition to a salad or soup.