Archive for January, 2010
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Jan
21
Posted by Michelle Boman
Photo courtesy of alykat on flickr.com
Do you purchase Oxbow products at The Grange? If so, we have an exciting promotion for you! When you purchase $15 of Oxbow product you will earn 1 raffle ticket. Use it to enter for a Oxbow Guinea Pig or Oxbow Rabbit basket. These baskets are filled with exciting Oxbow products, including the new freeze dried treats and Oxbow’s new Organic food! Each basket has a $41.00 retail value!
Come in soon, the raffle is only going on until January 31st! On February 1st, we will announce and contact the winner! Good Luck!
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Jan
21
Posted by Simone Mauhl
The Grange will have baby chickens again, starting the week of 03/01/2010. We have all the supplies you need to get started. Please call us at the Grange for more information. The chick schedule is available on our website www.grangesupply.com
We look forward to see you at the Grange.
Hot Chick by JOE M500 on Flickr
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Jan
17
Posted by Simone Mauhl
….for your tires. That’s right, we don’t charge for it. The Grange also sells propane for $3.39/1 – 9 Gallons; $3.34/10 - 19 Gallons; $3.29/20 -39 Gallons, $3.27/more than 40 Gallons and Bio Diesel B50 for $3.349/Gallon. Stop by and see what else we carry and you might be surprised. (Prices are subject to change without further notice). We are open Mo. – Fri. 7a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sat. 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Photo from Flickr and by ronnie44052
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Jan
16
Posted by Patti Kreager
Hey Guys! Just because it’s raining buckets outside doesn’t mean old man winter isn’t coming back. Don’t miss out on our Men’s Carhartt Coat and Jacket sale! The sale has been extended until the end of January. Don’t miss out on GREAT savings where member’s receive 20% savings and non-members 15%.
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Jan
16
Posted by Liam Shaw
Symptoms of Insulin Resistance (IR) include:
Obesity, easy weight gain, “Easy Keepers”, Abnormal, lumpy, patchy fat, a cresty neck, fat at the base of the tail and above the eyes, history of laminitis or grass founder, stretched white line, seedy toe, tender feet, low energy, unwilling to go
What is Equine Insuline Resistance (IR)?
IR is a metabolic disorder, not a disease, and is controlled with diet and exercise. Horses originally survived in the wild on poor forage and roamed for miles in search of food. Natural selection allowed those that could get by on very little food to survive. Now, we provide lush pastures more suited for cattle, feed grains and processed foods high in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC= sugar and starch) and limit their movement to stalls or small pastures with occasional exercise on the weekends. Unmanaged IR often leads to laminitis or founder (rotation and/or sinking of the coffin bone in the hoof a painful and potentially fatal condition) and is often referred to as “grass founder,” commonly seed in the Spring and Fall. Symptoms such as those listed above can suggest IR but a veterinarian should diagnose it with a non-fasting blood test for glucose and insulin and the calculate the glucose to insulin ratio. Ratios of less than 4.5 confirm IR.
Managing IR:
The most important step in managing IR is to limit the amount of NSC in the diet. Depending on the severity of the condition, grazing should either be completely eliminated, limited to an hour at sunrise or controlled with a grazing muzzle. High NSC foods including grain, corn or wheat based pelleted feeds, “senior” feeds, molasses, apples and carrots should not be fed. Grass hay or an acceptable low NSC feed (<10% NSC) should make up the bulk of the diet at 1.5-2.0% of the horses ideal body weight. Beet pulp (molasses free or rinsed clean of molasses) is an excellent source of fiber and provides the same calories as oats without an increase in blood glucose. Exercise, even as little as 30 minutes a day of hand walking, will increase the muscle demand for glucose and will reduce IR symptoms. (Note: Exercise only if the horse can tolerate it – never during an acute laminitis episode.)
Mineral Deficiencies and IR:
IR has been linked with some dietary deficiencies and mineral imbalances; for example, high iron and low magnesium have been associated with IR. The most practical and economical approach is to have the hay analyzed and provide only the vitamins and minerals that are needed, which has already been done for you in the Mid Valley Milling Low NSC feed program.
Where to get more information:
To learn more about IR and/or Equine Cushing’s disease from leaders in the field, go to: www.ecirhorse.com or http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/EquineCushings/
Where to find low NSC foods for the IR horse:
A complete food source for the IR horse is Mid Valley Milling Low Non Structural Carbohydrate Pelleted Complete Feed and Balancing Minerals. This product is assured to be low NSC and balanced in minerals so that additional mineral supplementation is not needed. The pellets can make up 100% of the diet or can be supplemented with a source of low NSC hay and/or unmolassed beet pulp pellets or soaked and rinsed beet pulp pellets if unmolassed beet pulp cannot be found.
*Article courtesy of Mid Valley Milling www.MidValleyHayPellets.com
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Jan
15
Posted by Michelle Boman
The FDA has announced a recall of 10oz. packages of Merrick Beef Filet squares sold with a “Best Buy Date of 111911″ because of a possible Salmonella contamination.
At The Grange, we have removed all affected product from inventory and will continue to watch this recall closely for any changes. If you have purchased any Beef Filet from the recalled lot, we are happy to return or exchange the product for you.
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Jan
14
Posted by michael aguilar
Let’s face it, after two pretty nasty winters we were due for a mild one and boy oh boy did we get it! Oh sure, there are some of us complaining about the rain and the gray sky but there’s always something to complain about with weather in the Northwest.
What’s getting me excited is the temperature. It may be a little cool to some of you but the primroses, pansies, and violas that are now available absolutely love it. I’ve had them available in the store for two weeks and they are selling well. I’m also planting up some of the containers here at the Grange as well as my deck at home. I can’t remember the last time I tried selling spring annuals this early but they’re doing great.
As my excitement grows for the upcoming season I thought it would might help to let you know when we would be bringing in those items usually associated with Spring.
January – In addition to the 4″ annual color and a few select perennials, we should have Territorial and Ed Hume seeds available during the last week.
February – The first week will see the arrival of Jackson and Perkins bareroot roses. A little later we will receive the onion sets ( yellow rock, white ebenezer, and red wethersfield) as well as seed potatoes, (red lasoda, chiefton, burbank, norcotah, yukon gold, satina, all blue, russian banana, and makah ozette) Toward the end of the month we will be bringing in the baby chicks! Call or come by to find out what varieties we will carry this year. Mason bees and their accessories will show up around this time as well.
March – things will be hopping by this time. We’ll receive bareroot strawberries, raspberries blueberries, asparagus rhubarb and horseradish. We’ll also get onion transplants, (red zeppelin, copra, walla walla and ailsa craig) we will also bring in grapes ,figs, kiwi, columnar apples and camellia sinensis more commonly known as the tea plant. Yes this is the type in which you can make your own green or black tea.
This is just to get the year started. There will be many more exciting things coming in so mark your calendar and come out and find out what’s new at the Grange, and while you’re at it look into all the benefits of becoming a member.
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Jan
13
Posted by Michelle Boman
Top 10 Reasons your Dog should be eating Sweet Potatoes:
1. Sweet Potatoes are filled with fiber. Fiber is great for digestion!
2. Sweet Potatoes are high in Vitamins A and B-6, Potassium and Calcium
3. The hardness of dehydrated sweet potatoes helps clean teeth and gums
4. Low in Calories and high in anti-oxidants! (anti-oxidants help protect the body from harmful free radicals)
5. Perfect for senior dogs; sweet potatoes are not too hard for older, sensitive teeth!
6. The perfect chew for dogs with sensitive stomachs or allergies
7. Sweet Potato chews are free of animal by-products and contain no wheat or corn
8. Will not stain your carpet or furniture
9. Most dogs love the flavor (Nothing is 100%!)
10. Lasts longer than a biscuit (but not as long as rawhide)
Personally, I love sweet potatoes and my dogs do too! So, when I had the opportunity to bring in Snook’s treats, I jumped on it. What I love most about this company (aside from the fact that they are family operated, use organic ingredients and have an awesome product) is that they are local! Made in Estacada, OR. Too cool!
Next time you are in, try a Sweet Potato for your dog and let us know what you think!
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Jan
08
Posted by Michelle Boman
Rabbits, like cats, can be trained to use a litter box. As I’m sure you can imagine, litter training a rabbit has several benefits, most notably a cleaner and easier to clean home for your furry friend.
The key to potty training is to connect your goal with your rabbit’s natural habits. Here’s how:
1. Spay/Neuter your rabbit when it reaches sexual maturity. A un-altered rabbit is nearly impossible to train because the sexual hormones create an uncontrollable desire to mark territory.
2. Location, Location, Location! Rabbits prefer to potty in a corner. So it makes sense to put the litter box in a cage corner. Of course, if you notice that your rabbit tends to potty in a specific corner, it is easiest to place the litter box there. In the remaining 3 corners of the cage, be sure to place beds, food or water because your rabbit is less likely to eliminate where he sleeps, eats or drinks.
Now what?
You have the litter box in place, so now your rabbit just needs to become familiar with it…and potty. An easy way to start the process is by placing a small amount of droppings in the litter box. Another helpful hint is to use a different type of litter in the box than you do in the cage. If you use shavings in the cage, be sure to use wood pellets in the box. That little difference will help your rabbit determine where he should be pottying. Be sure to use a litter that is rabbit safe (wood and straw pellets are safe choices, no clay!) because you can expect your rabbit to nibble on his litter.
Once your rabbit is using his litter box, be sure to kept it clean. But, not too clean. It’s always a good idea to keep a small amount of elimination in the cage as a helpful reminder that “yes, this is where I should potty”.
With a little time and patience, you can have a happy, healthy and well-behaved house bunny. Enjoy!
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