Archive for the ‘articles’ Category

Flocktober Win Prizes Free Coop Sign & More!

Wednesday, October 14th, 2015

Facebook-Post-Buy-Bag-Get-Sign-ImageAre your chicks growing? Once your chicks hit 18 weeks old or lay their first egg, its time to transition to Purina Layena poultry feed to sustain growth and promote egg production!

It’s Flocktober at J&N Feed and Seed! During Flocktober, get a FREE limited-edition coop sign, when you purchase a bag of Purina Layena or Layena Plus Omega-3,  40lb bags or larger!  While supplies last.

You can also register here for a chance to win one of these fabulous prizes!

  • A topical vacation for two to Oyster Bay Beach Resort in St. Maarten
  • A pearl necklace from Tiffany and Co.
  • A year’s supply of Purina Layena Plus Omega-3 poultry feed
  • A free bag of Purina Layena feed

Stop by J&N Feed and Seed this Floctober for Purina Layena poultry feed and all your coop supplies.

Purina High Octane Ultra Full Is Here

Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

Purina High Octane Ultra FullPurina High Octane Ultra Full show supplement is now available at J&N Feed and Seed.  Ultra Full show supplement will help you achieve the desired results you need with your show project. High Octane® Ultra Full™ supplement is designed to help support fill in the lower body and flank areas through controlled, progressive expansion. Ultra Full™ supplement can be fed in combination and compliments our High Octane Depth Charge supplement. It’s proprietary ingredient blend enhances palatability to help stimulate feed intake and can be fed to all show livestock species.

Stop by J&N Feed and Seed for all your show feeds, supplements and supplies. Let us help you raise a winner this year!

Keeping Your Horse Cool In the Summer

Wednesday, August 12th, 2015

horse waterSummer is in full swing in Texas, with the average daily temperatures topping 100 degrees. Summer heat and humidity can be a dangerous combination for active horses.“Heat and humidity affect the horse, and with intense exercising, the excess heat has difficulty dissipating,” notes Dr. Glennon Mays, clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

“Heat is a normal by-product of working muscles and increases during periods of increased exercise,” explains Mays.  “Normally a horse cools itself by sweating which causes heat loss and thus its body cools as sweat evaporates from the skin’s surface.”

When humidity is high, less moisture can evaporate from the skin surface.  Therefore the surface blood vessels will enlarge to help rid the horse’s body of excess heat.

“Overheating, or hyperthermia in the horse is due to a disturbance in the heat regulating mechanism of the horse’s body,” says Mays.  “In addition to summer heat and humidity, poor stable ventilation, prolonged exposure to sun, extreme exercise, transportation/trailering stress, as well as excess weight and poor conditioning may contribute to overheating.”

“If your horse does become overheated, move the horse to a shady area or to a cool, well-ventilated barn.  Then spray with cool water and place ice packs on the horse’s head and large blood vessels on the neck and the inside of its legs,” states Mays.  “Be careful to not spray the horse’s face or get water in its ears; just sponge these areas gently.”
Horses naturally tend to “cool out” while walking rather than standing still, notes Mays.  Therefore, application of ice packs can be challenging.

Allow the horse to have several swallows of cool, clean, fresh water every few minutes.  There is a possibility of colic if your horse drinks large quantities of water in a short period of time.

“To help your horse beat the heat, provide plenty of fresh, cool water,” notes Mays.  “Keep water bucket or trough clean to promote drinking.  Average size work horses can consume over 25 gallons of water per day when the temperature is above 70 degrees.”

Limit strenuous riding to late evening or early morning when the temperature is lower.  Use less tack in the hot summer by minimizing saddle pads and leg boots.  Also clip your horse’s coat and keep its mane and tail trimmed.
Heat stroke can happen to horses whether they are working hard, standing in stifling stables, or traveling in unventilated trailers, notes Mays.  Call a veterinarian and take immediate action if your horse has elevated respiration or pulse (in an inactive horse), body temperature above 103 degrees, or irregular heart beat.

“Do the skin pinch test to check your horse’s hydration,” says Mays.  Test for dehydration by pinching the skin along the horse’s neck.  The skin should snap back quickly.  If the pinched area collapses slowly the horse is dehydrated.
Hot weather does require that you give your horse special care.  But, you and your horse can lessen summer’s hot days when you practice these cool tips to beat the heat.

This article is from:
PET TALK
Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University.  Stories can be viewed on the Web @ http://tamunews.tamu.edu.

Know The Signs Of Heatstroke In Pets

Monday, July 27th, 2015

Heat stroke is a serious condition that unfortunately occurs all too often in dogs and cats. Your pet can succumb to heat stroke when his body’s core temperature rises excessively — typically to 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Dogs and cats are especially vulnerable to heat stroke because their furry bodies cannot sweat to dissipate heat.

Certain breeds and animals are more susceptible to heat stroke. If your animal is overweight, elderly or already has a heart condition, is it imperative that you take special care to ensure your pet is well hydrated and has access to ample cool space.  If your animal does overheat, it’s important to know the warning signs.

  • Rapid panting or particularly heavy breathing
  • Lethargy or mild weakness
  • Increased heart rate
  • Dizziness
  • Drooling
  • An elevated body temperature of 104 or more degrees Fahrenheit
  • Seizures
  • Bloody diarrhea
  • Vomit

If your animal exhibits any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately and move your pet to a cool, shady location. Begin to cool your pet’s body by placing cool, wet towels over the back of the neck, in the armpits and in the groin region. You may also wet the earflaps and paws with cool water.  CAUTION: Using very cold water can actually be counterproductive. Cooling too quickly and especially allowing his body temperature to become too low can cause other life-threatening medical conditions.

Purina Proud: See What Purina Can Do For Your Horse

Friday, July 24th, 2015

Purina ProudAre you a horse owner? Here is a great offer to try Purina Horse feeds.

New Customer Offer Sign Up: New customers can signup online to participate in the Purina Proud 60-Day Trial.  Once you sign up, you will receive an email with an in-store voucher for a FREE trial kit that includes a weight tape, educational information and a Buy One, Get One FREE offer to redeem at our store. Make sure you select OUR store when you sign up!

Bring us email voucher or print the email confirmation to receive the FREE trial kit. At Day 20 of the trial, new customers will receive a second Buy One, Get One FREE offer. Again, show us the email voucher or print the email confirmation and bring it to our store to receive the Day 20 offer.

Frequent Buyer Card: Once you complete the Purina Proud 60-Day Trial, new customers will receive a completion kit. The completion kit includes a Frequent Buyer Card to get a 9th bag FREE once they purchase 8 bags. You can either show us the email voucher or print the email confirmation to receive the Frequent Buyer Card. This offer is valid until 9/30/16.

Note: Buy One, Get One FREE vouchers are valid through 11/30/15.

Already feed Purina Horse feed?  Well you can get in on the action too with our referral offer!

Referral Sign Up: Current customers need to sign up online to participate in the Purina Proud Refer-a-Friend program. Customers who sign up will receive a unique code via email to share with friends. You can refer up to 10 friends. Once a friend signs up for the Purina Proud 60-Day Trial, current customers will receive an email with a voucher for a Buy One, Get One FREE offer to redeem in your store. Offer valid through 11/30/15.

What are you waiting for? Signup now for the Purina Product 6-Day Trial! See the difference!

Super S Diesel Exhaust Fluid

Tuesday, June 30th, 2015

Super S DieselSuper S Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) is now available at J&N Feed and Seed.  Pick up a 2 gallon container for just $8.95 plus tax.

Super S DEF meets all applicable standards, specifications and performance requirements for use in all SCR Emission Control Systems. Meets ISO 22241 specifications.

  • Non-Toxic
  • Non-Flammable
  • Non-Polluting
  • Non-Hazardous
  • No Special Handling Required

Why Do We Need DEF?  In order to meet the EPA 2010 mandate that oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emitted from diesel truck engines be reduced to almost zero levels by 2010, most manufacturers have chosen to use SCR, Selective Catalytic Reduction, technology.

If you have any questions, please stop by the store or give us a call.

 

 

Deer and Protein

Monday, June 22nd, 2015

Deer and ProteinThere is considerable controversy regarding the percentage of dietary protein that deer should have. Many people believe that deer cannot tolerate more than 16% dietary protein and that high-protein diets are wasteful or even toxic. This simply is not true.

Research in South Texas has shown that wild deer diets at certain times of the year can be over 25% protein. Many forages highly utilized by deer are over 30% protein. Obviously, the wild deer are unharmed by consuming these high-protein plants. Indeed, excellent antler growth years were those with superb spring forage conditions. The resulting antler growth suggests that not only were the deer not harmed by their high-protein diet, they actually utilized the protein to grow bigger antlers, indicating that higher protein is necessary for a buck to achieve his genetic potential for antler growth.

Pelleted diets designed to supplement natural forage need to be greater than 16% protein because the forage portion of the diet is often inadequate in protein content. Even in a good year, the digestible protein content of major deer browse species often falls well below 10% by late summer and will likely remain there until the spring green-up. In a tough year (late winter, drought, etc.), the nutrition supplied by natural forages can be inadequate even in the spring. Without supplemental protein, deer cannot maintain optimal body condition, which is essential for maximal antler growth.

Deer in confinement being fed complete diets should have at least 16% dietary protein in order to try to maximize health, growth and antler development. Today’s champion bucks are commonly being raised on diets containing 20% protein. Some people even feed diets containing as much as 24% protein with no adverse effects.

Protein is needed for maintenance and growth of all organs in the body as well as for many physiological functions, and the individual needs for protein are affected by many factors such as genetics, environment, disease and parasite challenges, etc. The body has a “priority of life” list, and protein goes first to those functions that are deemed most important to survival. Antler growth, while desirable and important for social hierarchy, is not necessary for life and appears at the bottom of the priority list from the deer’s viewpoint. Therefore, unless there is enough protein in the diet to meet all the priority needs and have enough left over for optimal antler growth, trophy racks will not happen, no matter what the genetic potential of the buck. If you want to see giant antlers, you will need to provide the necessary protein.

J&N Feed and Seed carries the full line of AntlexMax products.  Come see us for all your hunting and feed needs.

Source: Purina Mills

Millennium Treestands…Hunt With The Best

Wednesday, May 20th, 2015

Millennium TreestandsJ&N Feed and Seed carries a full line of hunting products from Millennium Treestands.  We’ve got everything from chairs and benches to hunting tripods and trees stands.  It’s not too early to start thinking about hunting season!

Millennium Stands have long been recognized as the most comfortable stands on the market. From Texas to Alberta and South Carolina to Idaho, outfitters and guides know the best way to increase your chances in seeing a trophy animal is to sit in a prime location from sun up until sun down. Millennium stands are engineered for that purpose – to be the most comfortable and quietest stands period. Every angle, hinge and weld has been tested under the most extreme conditions by the most cynical and scrutinizing hunters. Each Millennium is the best compromise of weight, quietness, strength, security and comfort for its intended use.

Horse Care: Managing Spring Turnout

Thursday, March 19th, 2015
horse eatingSpring has sprung and green pasture is coming on like gangbusters in most parts of the country. For most of us, this is good news because green grass relieves some pressure of searching for quality hay at a reasonable price. Of course, with the rising cost of fertilizer, it may be hard to decide which is the lesser of two evils: high-priced hay or high-priced fertilizer. However, if you have pasture and intend to utilize it for horses, there are some things to consider.
Take it slow
Keep in mind that going from dry hay and grain to lush, green pasture is a drastic change in diet and may increase the risk of founder or colic. Horses that are in the pasture full time will gradually become accustomed to the emerging green grass as it comes up. But horses that haven’t had green grass should only be allowed to graze for an hour or two at first, then gradually increase grazing time by an hour every couple days until the horses are out full time. It is also a good idea for horses to have eaten dry hay prior to turnout so they are not overly hungry. Individual horses will have different tolerance levels to the diet change and the nutritional profile of the grass, so a slower introduction is usually better.
Meet horse nutrient requirements
Spring pasture often looks beautiful and nutritious but can be very high in water and low in fiber content. In this stage of maturity, pasture may not meet a horse’s minimum requirement for dry matter intake and it may be necessary to provide 10 to 15 lbs. of dry hay per day until the pasture matures. Even when the pasture is sufficient to maintain horses in good body condition with no supplemental grain, there will still be nutrient deficiencies. Providing a forage balancer product such as Purina® Enrich Plus™ will supply a balance of protein, vitamins and minerals to complement pasture. This product is formulated to meet nutrient requirements of mature horses with 1 to 2 lbs. per day, whereas most feeds are formulated to be fed at a minimum of 3.5 to 4 lbs. per day.
Ensure adequate pasture
Pasture simulates a natural environment for horses and is considered beneficial to horses from a nutritional standpoint and from a mental health perspective as well. You may have enough pasture to serve both functions but, in many cases, pasture space is simply a place to roam around and nibble for a few hours a day. To determine if there is enough pasture for grass to be a significant source of nutrition, you have to consider the available acreage, type of forage and the number of horses or stocking rate.
The very best pastures may support one horse per acre, but average conditions may require closer to 2 to 3 acres to sustain one horse grazing full time. The effective stocking rate will depend on the type of grass, fertilization and rain fall. For shorter varieties of grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass, pasture must grow 3 to 4 inches tall to provide adequate forage for horses. Taller grasses, including Coastal bermudagrass, should sustain a height of 6 to 8 inches. Stocking rates may be improved if there is an option to rotate pastures. Grazing tall forage varieties down to 3 to 4 inches and shorter varieties to 2 inches in height, then rotating to another pasture for four weeks can help maximize grazing potential of available acreage. Rotating pastures is also a good way to reduce the risk of internal parasite infestation. A good rule of thumb is that if you can see manure piles in your pasture and if horses are grazing close to those manure piles, your pasture is overgrazed and horses should be removed to let it recover.
Pasture time is certainly a plus when it comes to managing happy, healthy horses, but not all pastures are created equal. Some pastures provide a significant source of nutrition while others are just a place to play. Providing safe, quality pasture forage that meets a large portion of your horse’s nutritional requirements takes careful management and additional caution during seasonal transitions.  Consulting with a horse pasture and forage expert in your area, such as the local county extension agent, a university agronomist or State Extension Horse Specialist, may help you maximize the safety and value of your available pasture.
Stop by J&N Feed and Seed in Graham, Texas for all your livestock minerals and feed.
Source: Purina Mills, Karen E. Davison, Ph.D. – Special – Sales Support Manager

 

Spring Seeds and Bedding Plants

Thursday, March 12th, 2015

spring gardeningWe love spring time at J&N Feed and Seed because it means time for planting, fertilizing, and preparing for the bloom of wonderful veggies, flowers and much more.

We have just received a new batch of veggies and various garden seeds! Stop by our greenhouse and let’s get this garden started! Now on hand, we have:

  1. A great selection of  vegetables, flowers and herb plants
  2. Bulk and Small Package Seeds
  3. Organic Seeds……

Stock up on potting soil and mulch too!