Winterize Your Wild Birds

October 31, 2008

There's a touch of fall in the air. The days are shorter and the nights cooler. For those living in places where the leaves put on a spectacular show of color, it's a sure sign that winter isn't far away. Wild birds are beginning to prepare for the harsh weather by 'winterizing' their bodies.

Backyard birders need to get their feeding stations in order right away to help these beautiful feathered friends find plenty of food. Now is the time when wild birds begin storing body fat that is essential to their survival. As their natural food sources disappear for the winter or become buried in snow, they rely more and more on birders to keep fresh seed in their feeders.

As increased numbers of species gather in flocks for migration, you'll notice much more activity around your feeding stations. In addition to your resident birds such as chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and woodpeckers, you will have periodic visits from migrating birds. They are largely insect eaters that need to relocate before the frost sets in killing their staple food. Once they are settled in for the winter, they will rely on bird seed and suet as their substitute food.

Juveniles will hang around with their parents one last time before they fly off to establish their own territories. Of course, they'll be filling their bellies to sustain them in the search for their new home, so birding activity will be on the increase for this reason also.

Keep binoculars and a bird identification book or device close by to help identify any new species that stops for a fill-up at the feeder. It's one of the most exciting times to be a birder.

In addition to various types of bird seeds, wild birds need the fat and nutrients provided from suet. There are many feeders that not only hold bird seed but have an attached suet cage as well. Many bird stores also stock suet in pellet form. This is much less messy than suet cakes and the amount supplied for the birds each day is easier to control. And, don't forget to keep fruit such as oranges and apples topped with either suet or peanut butter for fruit eaters.

Bluebirds and others that prefer mealworms don't have to wait until spring for their favorite food. Keep them happy all winter by using a mealworm warmer that keeps the worms alive, wiggling and tasty.

Bird feeders should be kept clean and repaired at all times, but particularly in the fall in preparation for the increasing number of birds using the feeders. There are products on the market that make cleaning feeders much easier - often as easy as dunking a feeder in a bucket of water containing the safe cleaning solution. Stale seed or dirty feeders can be a serious health hazard for wild birds.

What's a sure way to attract birds to your feeders? Provide a source of water, especially in winter! Accessible water in freezing weather will attract at least as many birds as a well stocked feeder. There are a variety of submersible heaters placed directly in the water that are economical and can be safely used in bird baths. Use a high-quality outdoor extension cord to plug the heater into an electrical source. Particularly in winter it's best to use a plastic rough-surfaced design since ceramic and concrete bird baths will easily crack in frigid weather.

Birds actually use water to stay warmer in winter. By cleaning their feathers and grooming them with natural oils, our feathered friends are able to help insulate their bodies from cold. About 70% of a bird's nonfat body tissue is water. That needs to be maintained to avoid dehydration. Birds find some water in natural food sources such as insects, berries and even snow, but when those supplies dwindle, the water supplied by bird baths is even more vital.

Just as the leaves change color in the fall, so does the plumage of some birds. The goldfinch, for example, undergoes a plumage change that drastically alters their appearance. The bright yellow starts to fade making it somewhat difficult to tell the male from the female. The purpose is to provide protection from predators when the trees are bare.

Each season brings with it a wonderful new experience as nature continues the same path it has followed for thousands of years. Backyard birders are privileged to witness one such experience when the wild birds begin their winterizing ritual.

About the Author

Janet Winter loves her wild birds and delights in providing helpful resources and unique products for feathered friends at WildBirdGoodies.com. She is a web designer, travel agent and writer on many topics including wild birds, babies and pampered dogs.

Article Source: Content for Reprint

Written by Garrett McCord · Filed Under Other News

Extension Update

October 31, 2008

Extension Update is a weekly summary of news from Extension, government, and other attributable sources, focused on marketing, farm management, and other issues that are of interest to Midwestern farm owners and operators.

USDA has revised its October Crop Report reducing corn acreage by 1.2%, soybean acreage by 1.4%, and dropping acreage also for canola, sunflowers, and edible beans, with an increase in sorghum acres of 2.5%. USDA said the adjustment was necessitated by failure of the FSA and NASS computer software to reconcile acreage information.

Revised corn data projects 78.177 mil. harvested acres, 153.9 bu. average yield and 12.033 bil. bu. production. Planted and harvested acreage dropped 1 mil., and yield declined 0.1 bu. USDA did not adjust any projected use, but reduced ending stocks from 1.154 bil. to 1.088 bil. bu. and added 5¢ to the average farm price, now $4.25 to $5.25. Find details here.

Revised soybean data projects 74.374 mil. harvested acres, 39.5 bu. average yield and 2.938 bil. bu. production. Planted acreage and harvested acreage both dropped 1.1 mil., but yield estimates were left unchanged. A 30 mil. bu. drop in exports was the only adjustment to use, with ending stocks lowered from 220 to 205 mil. bu. USDA added 10¢ to the season average price estimate which now ranges $9.70 to $11.20 per bu.

While futures prices have fallen, the basis has narrowed says IL Extension’s Darrel Good. He points to an anecdotal cash price that was 40¢ under Dec futures, which was 20¢ higher than recent fall delivery prices, but still 20¢ under year ago levels. His cash bean example is up 60¢ from recent bids, and 15¢ stronger than cash bean prices in late 2007. Read more.

Darrel Good also says spreads in the bean market have also narrowed to create a carry in the market. The result of the carry and the narrow basis is a return to storage, if farmers can store beans. Good says the return is minimal, and calculated a 50¢ return for 8 months of storage, if summer 2009 basis levels narrowed to 10¢ under. That works out to be a 17¢ return to storage, because 6% interest on $8.30 soybeans would cost 33¢.

Returns to storage for corn are a slightly better calculates Darrel Good. The Dec to July futures spread is 37¢ putting cash prices at 77¢ under July. If the basis returns to typical levels, he says that puts a return to storage at 62¢ for corn stored 8 months. With 13¢ interest, the true return to storage would be 49¢, even covering commercial rates.

Update your marketing plan based on the stronger basis, suggests Good. If prices recover as expected over the next six months, then storage would pay off. He says holding corn may be preferable, but at current scenarios, the soybean market may only reward those with a basis contract or a hedge, which are cheaper than storing beans.

Was the revised USDA report a turning point in the market meltdown? Kansas State marketing specialist Mike Woolverton thinks, “During the summer and early fall, commodity prices have been beaten down by outside influences such as the precipitous oil price drop, a tremendous hedge and index fund sell-off, the credit market freeze, overseas buyers waiting out the down price trends, and the global economic downturn. Now, maybe buyers and sellers can concentrate on supply and demand fundamentals.”

Woolverton says market fundamentals are stronger than prices reflect. He says the world will soon turn to US corn and wheat, and demand will strengthen. He says ending stocks are low by historic standards, the battle for acres will heat up, input costs have to fall more or fertilizer sales will weaken, exports have held up despite credit conditions.

Look at South America, says Woolverton, who says crops have struggled due to bad weather, wheat in both Argentina and Australia is droughty, financial problems in Brazil have restricted soybean planting, and Argentine farmers are mad at their export taxes.

Will credit markets and ethanol expansion determine 2009 corn and soybean acreage? Ohio St. marketing specialist Matt Roberts believes ethanol expansion will slow, but he is uncertain how much. Estimating weaker exports and more ethanol demand, Roberts says there may be a need for 2-3 mil. more acres of corn than in 2008. Roberts says soybean acreage in 2009 could be reduced by 1.5 mil. without much difficulty in the market.

Will there be more profit in planting corn or soybeans in 2009? Declining commodity prices and rising input costs have underscored the need for precise calculations, but as grain prices potentially recover and some input costs soften, periodic calculations may be required as you implement your marketing plan. Consult the crop enterprise budgets offered by Ohio State.

Matt Roberts at Ohio State says those budgets show variable costs of $450-$500 per acre to plant corn, and a breakeven price of $4.50 that includes returns to labor and land. For soybeans, the variable cost is $240-$270 with a breakeven inclusive market price of $9-$10. Roberts says unless something changes, he cannot see increased corn acreage. Read more.

Be a church mouse and listen to Purdue economist Allan Gray’s advice to agribusiness:
1) If you have a high-priced fertilizer inventory, your tendency is to cover your costs. But farmers know prices have declined, and they will look to a lower priced competitor.
2) If you have pre-sold nitrogen at high prices, you’ll face pressure to give farmers relief.
3) Elevators earlier this year had to pay out high margin calls, and lower prices are bringing that cash back home. Keep the cash if possible for your financial reserves.
4) Ag lenders are tightening their credit, and farmers who do not get needed operating credit will be asking ag retailers to help finance the crop inputs needed next spring.
5) Elevators considering use of their additional working capital to enter the credit business should be diligent in understanding credit worthiness and one’s ability to repay.
6) Agribusiness should not lose focus of serving their best customers at the highest level.

Wet and cold sums up 2008 weather say Iowa St. specialists, with the statewide accumulation of growing degree days 130 behind the average, and rainfall 7 in. more than average. Interestingly, 85% of that surplus 7 inches fell prior to June 12.

“Run wide open and don’t lift,” says grain quality specialist Charles Hurburgh at Iowa State, addressing the need to get all grain out of the field as quickly as possible and deal with moisture issues in storage. Hurburgh says soybeans will not dry any further, and will only rise in moisture now and temperature variations will cause pods to split open.

If you have wet corn, and lack of drying capacity, Hurburgh has several suggestions:
1) Dry it to 17-18%, store it with airflow and cool it off, and moisture will drop to 15%.
2) Dry it to 20%, cool it with aeration, hold it at 17-18%, dry it in the spring or sell it.
3) Dry it to 20%, store it with aeration, return the batch to the dryer for more heat later.

If grain drying is your priority, consider these money-savers for this year and next:
1) Calibrate your grain moisture meter. Meter errors cause under- or over-drying.
2) Clean grain to remove fines before drying. There’s no need to dry unneeded materials.
3) Full heat drying cuts energy use by 15%. In-bin (dryeration) cuts energy use by 25%.
4) Add a stirring device to bin dryers to save 20-30% in drying costs.
5) If you have perforated floors and aeration, combination drying will save 40-50%, if you dry to 20% moisture with high temperature drying and finish with ambient air.

Soybean rust was found in McLean and Marshall Counties in Central IL, and Jackson and Union Counties in Southern IL, but so far those 4 are the only counties north of the Ohio River with confirmed cases of rust. Find the details.

If your 2009 bean fields are rife with purple deadnettle over the winter, you are also likely hosting soybean cyst nematode. SCN egg populations can increase 3-5 fold over the winter on purple deadnettle, a winter annual. Ohio State specialists recommend that it be controlled within four weeks of emergence, since SCN eggs will hatch in 4-5 weeks.

Pork producers continue to send sows and gilts to market, reducing the breeding herd at a modest rate says MO livestock economist Glenn Grimes. He hopes by December the breeding herd will be 5% below last December. Without any demand loss, Grimes says the average cost producer should break even in 2009. He is predicting financial losses on market hogs in the first and fourth quarters and profits in the second and third quarters.

Breakeven costs for cattle feeders are dropping according to the calculations of Kansas State livestock economist Jim Mintert. His newsletter says even though fed cattle prices are only $90, the recent decline in feeder calves and the 30% decrease in feed costs have pushed breakeven prices down sharply. He says low cost operators may see a profit.

Cattlemen should be concerned about the risk of prussic acid forming in forage that has been damaged by frost, and the potential for poisoned livestock. The problem remains until sorghum, sudangrass, or sorghum-sudan forages wilt and dry. Prussic acid is fatal to cattle, and IL Extension crop specialist Robert Bellm says there is no immunity.

Written by Garrett McCord · Filed Under Other News

Can Pond Slop Be Used as Topsoil For a Home Lawn?

October 30, 2008

I was recently asked by a reader the following question;
"is pond soil supposed to be good for use as topsoil? The previous homeowners apparently used pond soil and my lawn does not drain very well at all. The surrounding neighbors all have very sandy soil and they do not seem to have this problem. Any advice?"

Yes, I do have some advice. Call up the previous owners and politely ask them what on this green earth they were thinking when they laid that slop on top of your property. Of course, they may not answer so politely, so allow me to expound upon your issue and direct you in a more constructive approach.

The soil at the bottom of ponds can have a whole host of problems that do not make it ideal for a home lawn situation. Aside from fish poop (my 7 year old son dared me to work the word poop into a column. Now he has to let me beat him in a video game just once), there are problems with iron, clay, and anaerobic bacteria (my 9 year old dared me to work the word anaerobic into a column. He is just strange). But at the basics, ponds exist because the soil at the bottom does not drain. Why someone would get the bright idea that this impermeable (my wife dared, oh forget it) muck might create a good lawn growing medium is beyond me, but I have heard of this issue before.

Given that the neighborhood seems to be a sandy one, I am going to conveniently jump to the conclusion that the pond slop was spread on top of sand. That would bolster your description on non-drainage nicely. Whenever you lay a finer textured soil (like the scientifically named slop) on top of a coarser textured soil like sand, you create what is known as the Sponge Effect.

Take a sponge and get it nice and wet. Now lay it on top of a cooling rack so it is essentially suspended in air. What happens? The sponge holds onto the water pretty well. In fact, most of the water will eventually leave the sponge through evaporation, not drainage. The pond soil on top of the sand acts in exactly the same way. Now, make a stack of five or six wet sponges. Aside from garnering strange stares from the rest of the family, what happens now? The top several sponges will drain down into the lower ones, at which point the lower ones become over-saturated and drain out onto the counter and drip down the front of the cabinets onto your shoes. This is the ideal drainage you want to have in your lawn, and it results from having a nice deep, uniformly textured soil layer.

So, what to do? The first option is to just have the lousy stuff scraped off and carted away. Since I do not know the dimensions of your yard, I don not know just how feasible this option truly is. It may end up being pretty costly. The other, less expensive option would be to simply roto-till the pond soil into the underlying sand. This way, you will not have that defined layer difference that is the root of your drainage problems. Instead, you will have a more uniformly mixed up blend of 1/2 pond soil and 1/2 sand. The water really should not have a problem draining through that. Once you have fixed the layering problem, you can either re-seed or sod to get a new lawn in place.

Thanks for writing in! And Dad, if you are reading this, antidisestablishmentarianism. You owe me a beer.

About the Author

C.J. Brown is a lawn advice columnist and has over 20 years of experience in the business of grass care. You can visit and write to him at The Lawn Coach Website.