Oct. 12, 2007
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Winter Feed Alternatives for Horse Owners
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE
Education Expenses Can Be Tax Deductible
4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Safety Tips for Halloween Trick-or-Treaters
Winter Feed Alternatives for Horse Owners
Source: Bob Coleman
This year’s widespread drought will put some horse owners in a bind as they begin to search for winter feeds. Other states are feeling the effects of the drought as well, which will result in a larger number of buyers vying for a smaller amount of available feed. If you don’t already have a winter supply of forage, you may have to start looking toward alternative feed sources your horse this winter.
With hay supplies tight, horse owners should meet their horses’ nutrient needs without over feeding the horse. This may require the owner limiting the amount of hay a horse gets. A general recommendation is to feed your horse a daily ration equal to two percent of its body weight. This ration is comprised of mostly forage with some supplemental concentrate based on the forage quality and the nutritional needs of the horses being fed.
Horse owners need to provide their horse with a minimum of one percent of its body weight in forage from hay or pasture daily in order for the horse to stay healthy. This means the average 1,000 pound horse will need at least 10 pounds of hay or pasture equivalent a day.
As traditional forage supplies are pinched, horse owners may need to consider alternative forages such as cereal hay or alfalfa cubes. There are other forages that horse owners could consider, but they vary with local conditions. Stop by the (Your Country) Cooperative Extension office for advice when considering forages you have not traditionally used.
When considering alternative feeds, horse owners should be aware that the nutrition content will vary. Waste will also increase as the horse will pick through the forages and select the parts they find palatable.
Some owners may choose to use more concentrate in their feeding programs this winter than normal. The use of fibrous feedstuff, such as soy hulls or beet pulp, can help horses meet their nutritional needs while allowing the horse owner to stretch hay supplies. These feeds can be used at a rate of 0.25 to 0.35 percent of the horse’s body weight included in a cereal grain mix to supplement the hay portion of the program. The total concentrate meal shouldn’t exceed 0.5 percent of the horse’s body weight. This would be equal to five pounds per feeding for a 1,000 pound horse. It is important to monitor your horse’s body weight on the program to ensure your horse is maintaining its body weight. Adjustments may be needed.
When administering fibrous feeds, owners should be cautious about how much fiber their horse consumes because too much fiber can knock a horse’s digestive system out of whack. Owners should make sure they provide their horse adequate fresh, clean water. When feeding a horse fibrous, low quality forage, it is important for the horse to have adequate water intake to prevent impaction. Typically, a horse should have a minimum of one gallon of water per 100 pounds available to them every day. The horse should also have sufficient salt and minerals incorporated in its diet.
There are some feeds available commercially that are designed to be the sole food source for horses, but these feeds are very high in fiber. These types of feeds provide sufficient nutrients for the horse but can lead to the development of bad habits, such as chewing on fences. These habits are the result of a horse’s boredom.
If you are having trouble finding adequate winter forage, contact the (Your County) Extension Office to see where hay is available. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture’s Web site, http://www.kyagr.com, also has information available for those needing to buy or sell hay. With gas prices so high, going elsewhere for hay could be a costly venture, but it’s well worth the cost to maintain the health of your horse.
If you decide to incorporate alternative feed sources into your horse’s diet this winter, your horse needs to get adapted to the alternative food. Now is time to start adapting horses to alternative food sources by mixing it in with the horse’s normal food supply. Feed the horse two to three times a day to give the horse a continuous source of feed. Don’t feed your horse all the hay it’s going to get for the day at once. Divide and distribute it every time you feed your horse supplements or alternative feeds. This way the horse gets some hay with each of its meals.
For more information on feeding and supplement alternatives for horses this winter, contact your (COUNTY NAME) Cooperative Extension Service.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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Education Expenses Can Be Tax Deductible
Sources: Sue Badenhop, Extension family resource management specialist, and the Internal Revenue Service
With the school year comes expenses and some of those can be tax deductible. Parents and teachers need to remember to keep receipts and good records in order to take advantage of all possible deductions and credits.
The educator expense deduction allows teachers and other educators to deduct the cost of books, supplies, equipment and software used in the classroom. Eligible educators include those who work at least 900 hours during a school year as a teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide in a public or private elementary or secondary school.
The educator expense deduction is available whether or not the educator itemizes their deductions on Schedule A. This deduction is scheduled to expire at the end of this year.
Three tax breaks can help parents and students pay for the cost of post-secondary education. These are the tuition and fees deduction, the Hope credit and the lifetime learning credit. All three are available, regardless of whether an eligible taxpayer itemizes their deductions. The tuition and fees deduction is scheduled to expire at the end of this year, but the other two credits remain in effect.
Normally, a taxpayer can claim tuition and required enrollment fees paid for their own and their dependent’s college education. A taxpayer cannot take both an education credit and the tuition and fees deduction for the same student in the same year. Income limits and other rules apply to each of these provisions.
IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, can help eligible parents and students understand the rules that apply and decide which tax break to claim. The publication also describes other education-related tax benefits, including qualified tuition programs (also known as 529 plans), the student loan interest deduction, Coverdell education savings accounts and the education savings bond program. Publication 970 can be obtained on the IRS Web site, http://www.irs.gov, or by calling the IRS toll-free at 1-800-TAX-FORM (829-3676).
Talk with your tax preparer to make sure you take advantage of all the deductions and credits available for you. For more information on managing your resources, contact the (COUNTY Name) Extension Service.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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Tips for Halloween Trick-or-Treaters
Sources: Larry Piercy, Joe O’Leary and Consumer Product Safety Commission
Trick-or-treaters may not be the only ones in disguises this Halloween. Potential hazards to children also might appear in disguises, or may not be apparent.
Halloween-related injuries result from treats that have been tampered with, or that pose a choking hazard. Injuries also might involve eye abrasions from sharp accessories or objects attached to masks or costumes, and burns from flammable costumes ignited by open flames from candles and jack-o’-lanterns. Children also can be injured from running through dimly lit yards or dashing out into streets.
These safety suggestions will help ensure that Halloween ghosts and goblins won’t be haunted by unnecessary injuries.
Do not allow your child to accept any homemade foods or fruits. You don’t know the sanitation of the people who prepared baked goods or if they contain allergenic ingredients. Fruits may have something injected in them or may be contaminated in some way.
Check all individually wrapped candies for tiny holes in wrappers and signs that the candy has been opened and shut. These are signs that the candy could be injected with a chemical or something has been slipped into it. Check candies for metal objects such as pins, needles and razor blades. People have been known to slip these into candy so they will harm a child. Many community hospitals offer free x-rays for Halloween candy. Check with area hospitals to see if they are offering this service on Trick-or-Treat night.
An adult also should examine any novelty items or toys received by children under three years old. Discard items that are small enough to present a choking hazard or those with small parts or components that could separate during use and cause a choking problem.
Be sure masks have no sharp objects that could injure children. Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be made from soft or flexible materials.
Select costumes and accessories (masks, wigs and beards) that are labeled “Flame Resistant.” Although these could catch fire, this labeling indicates they will resist burning and should quickly extinguish when removed from the ignition source.
Avoid flimsy costume materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts to reduce the risk of contact with candles or other ignition sources.
To guard against trips and falls, children’s costumes should be short enough not to drag on the ground. Also, children should wear sturdy, tight-fitting shoes; wearing oversized shoes, especially high heels, isn’t a safe practice.
Be sure children’s masks fit securely, provide adequate ventilation, and have eyeholes large enough to permit full vision. Also, securely tie hats and scarves to keep them from slipping over children’s eyes and interfering with vision.
Instead of a mask, consider applying hypoallergenic cosmetics.
Make or buy costumes bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists. For better visibility at dusk or darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in a car’s headlight beam. Also, choose brightly colored treat bags or sacks, or decorate these containers with reflective tape, which usually is available in hardware, bicycle and sporting goods stores.
Carrying flashlights will help children more easily see and be seen.
An adult or older, responsible child should accompany smaller children. Be sure young children finish trick-or-treating and return home before dark.
Children should only enter homes or apartments when accompanied by an adult or responsible, older child.
Go over pedestrian safety rules before children go out to trick-or-treat. Encourage children to walk on the sidewalk rather than in the street. Also, remind them to walk, not run, from house to house and not to dash into the street from between parked cars.
To protect trick-or-treaters coming to your home, do not put candlelit jack-o’-lanterns near landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame. Keep indoor jack-o’-lanterns, candles and other ignition sources away from curtains, decorations and other furnishings that could be ignited.
Whether for indoor or outdoor usage, only use lights tested for safety by a recognized testing laboratory. Check each set of lights for broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, and loose connections. Discard damaged sets of lights. Don’t overload extension cords.
For more information, contact your (County Name) Cooperative Extension Service.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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