Spilyay Tymoo
Warm Springs, Oregon
November 6, 1987 PAGE 5
Insulation, hot water heater questions answered
Q. We're petting ready to con
vert the attic in our older home into
finished living ipace. Should we
remove the insulation in the attic
floor before laying down floor
boards? Also, when insulating the
ceiling, can we just stuff insulation
batts between the rafters before
hanging sheet rock?
A. Don't worry about removing
the floor insulation. It will help
provide sound-proofing.
Batts are fine to use for ceiling
insulation. But you must pay atten
tion to moisture protection and
ventilation when you install them.
Use batts with a foil or kraft
paper vapor barrier attached. For
moisture protection, install the vapor
barrier facing the warm side of the
room so it rests against the sheet
rock ceiling.
Select a batt size that allows
installation with a one-inch air space
for ventilation between the under
side of the roof and the insulation.
Install vents at the eaves and near
the ridge of the roof to allow venti
lation through the one-inch space.
We generally recommend a min
imum of R-30 ceiling insulation.
However, if you have a 2-by-6 raf
ters, the most you can put into the
cavity is an R-19 batt. which will
not allow for the I-inch air space.
The next standard thickness is three
and one-half inches, which is R-l I.
Because we recommend more insu
lation than R-l I, you might nail
wood furring strips onto the raf
ters. This will provide more cavity
space to fill with insulation. Or you
can use rigid foam-board insula
tion along with batt insulation to
increase the R-value.
Q. Energy "experts" are always
saying we should turn down the
thermostat on our water heater,
but they never explain how to turn
it down. I can't find the thermostat
on my water heater.
A. Your water heater is probably
electric if you have trouble finding
the thermostat. Most electric water
heaters have two thermostats hid
den by faceplates, one near the bot
tom and one near the top of the
tank. It's important to turn down
both. If you're adventuresome youll
save even more if you set the lower
temperature to the minimum tempe
rature, but you may have to raise
the setting if you run out of hot
water.
First, turn off the electricity to
the water heater at the circuit breaker,
or main power switch. Then remove
the faceplate with a screwdriver.
Push aside the insulation under
neath the faceplate and youll see a
dial and a pointer. Using the screw
driver, move the pointer to the
desired temperature on the dial.
The thermostat on a gas-fired
water heater is easier to find. There
will be only one. Normally, it will
have a dial labeled "warm" on one
side and "hot' on the other. The
warm setting usually corresponds
roughly to 1 20 degrees, and the hot
to 160 degrees. Simply turn thedial
to the temperature you want. Most
energy experts recommend 120
degrees if you don't have a dis
hwasher; 130 degrees if you do.
One reason the experts are always
telling you to turn down your water
heater thermostat is that water
heating accounts for between 20
and 30 percent of most people's
annual utility bill. So there are big
savings to be had simply by turning
down the thermostat.
OREGON 5TAT6 UNIVERSITY
QCTGNSION
SGRVICG
Eralna Palmer Secretary
Jonl David Program Aide
Arlent Bolleau Extension Intern
The Warm Sprlngi Extension Mo'11 Marh Extension Agent
Service provides equal access to Clay Penhollow Extension
all Its activities and programs. Agent
Check home for safety problems
Is your home a haven to subtle
safety hazards such as carpets that
slide when you step on them, elec
trical outlets overloads with too
many appliances, or handrails that
are dangerously shaky?
According to the U.S. Consu
mer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) and the National Associa
tion of Area Agencies on Aging
(N A AA A), too many older Ameri
cans will answer "yes" to this ques
tion. Unfortunately, many more
should answer yes. but don't until
after they suffer an accident caused
bv these or other hazards around
Osteoporosis: A bone
thinning disease
the home.
According td CPSC estimates,
more than 600,000 persons 65 and
older are treated each year in hos
pital emergency rooms for injuries
occurring in the home. The annual
cost of medically attended injuries
from accidents to that age group is
estimated at S3 billion.
CPSC reports that among the
most frequent accidents involving
older people are:
Falls in the bathroom and on the
stairs.
Burns and smoke inhalation from
fires.
Scalds from hot tap water.
Electrical shock.
The CPSC and N A A A A are col
laborating on the "Home Safety
Program"to help older people iden
tify hazards in their homes and
take steps to avoid them, says Vicki
Schmall, Oregon State University
Extension geronotology specialist.
Currently, the national program
is operating in selected urban areas.
Safety steps are presented via audio
visual and printed materials. Peo
ple who attend the meetings are
encouraged to use the CPSC "home
Safety Checklist for Older Consu
mers" to check their homes.
That checklist is free and availa
ble to all consumers, Schmall says.
For a free copy of "Home Safety
Checklist for Older Consumer,"
send a postcard to CPSC, Washing
ton, D.C. 20207. Don't forget to
include your name and address.
Workshops Set
1 1987 Sclf-Esteem as a tool for stress manaccmcnt. 7 n m Tommim
iiy center, rrcsemor win te Kuth Harmelick. OSU Extension
ramny liic specialist.
1 11287 Know your valuable papers, 7 p.m. Community Center. Pane
mcmocrs: Antoinette rampenne, Madeline gueanpama. Oli
via Kirk, Jerry Sampson, Margaret Buckland, and Mark
Stillwell.
12787 Holiday Baking, 4-H Center. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost $4.00 , pre
registration is needed.
121487 Holiday Baking, 4-H Center, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost $4.00 , pre-
rcgisirauon is neeaea.
122187 Holiday Baking, 4-H Center, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Cost $4.00 . pre
registration is needed.
12887 After School Baking. 3:30-5:00 p.m., 4-H Center, Cost $4.00.
pre-registration is needed.
121087 After School Baking, 3:30-5:00 p.m., 4-H Center, Cost $4.00.
pre-registration is needed.
121587 After School Baking, 3:30-5:00 p.m.. 4-H Center. Cost $4.00.
pre-registration is needed.
121787 After School Baking. 3:30-5:00 p.m.. 4-H Center, Cost $4.00.
pre-registration is needed.
All women should know about
osteoporosis. This bone-thinning
condition affects one in four women
over the age of 60 and is a major
cause of fractures of the spine, hip,
wrist and other bones. Treatment
may help women who have the dis
order and steps can be taken to
help prevent it.
Osteoporisis develops silently over
a period of many years. Gradually
and without discomfort, the bones
thin out until some break, causing
pain and disability.
Decreasing hormone levels, inade
quate calcium in the diet, not enough
exposure to sunlight, and inactiv
ity all may play a role in osteoporo
sis development.
Doctors often prescribe calcium
tablets, sometimes with added vita
min D. Because large amounts of
vitamin D can be harmful, it's
important to take only the amount
recommended by your doctor.
People who have osteoporosis
should eat foods high in calcium.
Daily diets should include dairy
products and dark green leafy vege
tables. Exercise also helps because
it stimulates formation of new bone.
For a free leaflet about aging
and osteoporosis, write to the Na
tional Institute on Aging, Box BT,
Bldg. 31, Room 5C35, Bethesda,
MD 20205.
Warm clothing essential in winter
FDA approves health messages on foods
Working outdoors in autumn's
increasingly cold temperatures can
be a chilling experience without the
help of winter work clothes to pro
vide warmth and comfort.
When you bring out your winter
work shirts for another season of
wear, make sure they're in good
shape. Ragged old shirts are more
apt to flap around and get caught
in work equipment. A new shirt or
two may be a timely investment in
future safety.
Should health messages be allowed
on food labels? Until now, the food
and Drug Administration (FDA)
has prohibited disease-prevention
claims on product labels.
However, the appearance of health
messages on food labels is now
becoming more commonplace. For
example, a bran cereal label has
been suggesting that fiber has a
role in cancer prevention.
This claim has gone unchallenged
by FDA. In fact, it may have
spurred the FDA to reevaluate its
regulations on health claims.
The FDA now believes it's worth
while to consider new ways to
inform the public about relation
ships between diet and health. They
believe it's possible to use food lab
els to communicate health-related
information if specific criteria are
followed.
The FDA recently proposed some
labeling guidelines for public health
messages. The new regulations would
allow some foods to claim health
benefits if several conditions are
met.
First, the claim must be truthful
and not misleading. Next, it must
be supported by valid, reliable,
publically available scientific evi
dence based on appropriate research.
The claim must emphasize the impor-
torting the value of one product.
Finally, along with the health claim,
the label must include nutritional
information for the food product.
The new regulations would
establish an interagency commmit
tee to develop suggested health
message for use on labels. Manu
facturers would be able to develop
their own messages if the guide
lines are followed.
The FDA invites comments on
the proposed regulations. Send them
by November 2 to Dockets Man
agement Branch (HFA-305), FDA,
Room 4-62, 5600 Fishers Lane,
Rockville, Maryland 20857.
Several types of winter-weight
shirts are available. Look at the
garment's label to find the content
of the cloth and the garment's
finish.
The traditional and currently quite
fashionable, winter work shirt is
cotton or wool plaid in flannel.
Chamois-cloth cotton shirts are
also popular. Chamois-cloth shirts
have a fuzzy surface on both sides,
are typically of plain colors, and
have heavier fabric than some flan-
fels. , .
"Cotton or cotton polyester twill
shirts are smooth-finished and pro
vide a better wind-break character
istics than most flannels because of
their close weave and hard-twist
yarns.
If you like the extra absorbency
of 1 00 percent cotton, then look for
a shirt with a shrink resistant finish
such as sanforized or rigmel so it
will still fit after laundering. Cot
tonpolyester blend flannel shirts
are less likely to shrink, but may be
more likely to pill.
Care labels on wool shirts may
recommend dry cleaning, but some
may say the shirt is washable. If
wools are washable, they are usu
ally blended with synthetic fibers
and have a shrink resistant finish
such as superwash or wurlan.
Another warm alternative in work
shirts is the triple-layer quilted flan
nel shirt with fiberfill and a nylon
lining. Be sure to read the fiber
content label. If an acetate lining is
used it will probably wear out
quickly.
Some stores and or catalogs offer
shirts in both average and tall sizes,
so if you have trouble with finding
sleeves long enough, look for those
tall size categories.
Other features that may be impor
tant in work shirts are placement
and number of pockets, and whether
the shirt buttons or snaps. Better
quality shirts will have longer tails,
plaids matched, collorpoint stays
or reinforcement (to preserve shape),
and seams finished to prevent fraying.
Careful herd culling important
tance of the total diet without dis
Tuna casserole Prepare houseplants for winter
I It's tima 1a nal I
" win, iu gti uuuscpiaius rcauy
for another winter indoors.
Because growing conditions
indoors are often poor, houseplants
arent too vigorous during the winter.
As a result, the water needs of
houseplants are less in the winter
season. It's best to let the potting
soil dry slightly before watering
again with most plants. Leave the
soil moist after watering, not satu
rated. And, let any excess water
sharp
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups (8 ozs.) shredded
cheddar cheese
I can (6 to 7 oz) tuna, drained and
and flaked
4 cups cooks macaroni shells'
V teaspoon ground black pepper
!4 cup chopped parsley
In a medium saucepan melt but
ter. Stir in tlour. Cook and stir over
low heat for one minute. Gradually
stir in milk. Cook and stir until
mixture boils and thickens. Remove
from heat. Add cheddar cheese,
stirring until melted. Stir in tuna,
macaroni and black pepper. Heat
until hot. Serve sprinkled with pars
ley. Yield: six portions. Per por
tion: 398 mg. calcium, 544 calories.
Insulate ducts
Uninsulated central heating ducts
in attics and or crawl space can
rob up to 40 percent of heat pro
duced by a furnace according to
the Alliance to Save Energy. To
reduce this loss, they suggest seal
ing leaks and joints with duct tape
or silicon caulk and wrapping ducts
with at least two inches of fiber
glass insulation or other commer
cial duct insulation.
Beware!
Dont be taken. Beware of decep
tive sales practices. Although few
sellers use fraudulent practices, it's
important to be one guard against
them. Recognize and protect your
self from deception and fraud:
Be cautious of "free" gifts or
"fantastic" bargains.
Don't let door-to-door sellers
in unless you verify that they are
from a reliable company.
Be careful of very low-priced
items they can be stolen.
Read and understand a con
tract before signing it. Don't sign a
blank contract or one with blank
spaces.
Renters can save $$
drain out the bottom of the pot.
Do not leave drain water stand
ing in the dish or other container
the plant pot sits in.
Fertilizer needs of houseplants
are also less during winter months.
It's safe to let houseplants go with
out fertilizer from late November
through early April.
Remove seed pods and wilted
flowers and leaves. Prune back
long, straggly stems to within one
eighth inch of a leaf joint. Keep
plants free of dust and pick off any
insects that may be hiding on stems
or foliage.
Some plants may need a transfer
to larger pots to maintain maxi
mum growth. Most vigorously grow
ing indoor plants need repotting
every year or two.
Check the plant root system to
determine if it is potbound. Put
one hand over the top of the soil,
turn the pot upside down, tap the
rim softly against the edge of table
to loosen the soil, and remove the
old pot. A solid mass of roots with
little or no soil visible indicates the
plant is potbound.
When repotting, use a new con
tainer about two inches deeper and
wider than the old one. This is usu
ally one size larger in clay flower
pots.
Renters should look for these
dozen money-saving features in pro
perties they consider for rent:
Windows not cracked or broken.
Windows and doors weatherstrip
ped and close tightly.
Water tank and pipes insulated.
Showers with flow restrictors or
low-flow showerheads.
Faucets that do not leak.
Fireplace damper which closes
tightly.
Night setback thermostat.
Storm windows and doors.
Insulated crawl space under floor.
Duct work in attic or crawl space
insulated.
Attic adequately insulated.
Reasonable heating costs.
Free flyers covering the "renters'
dozen" in more detail are available.
(For renters) "Renters Be Wise"
and for landlords "Rental prop
erty Weatherization It can Save
You Money." Copies from Susan
Vogt, Extension Energy Agent, OSU
Extension Service, 3821 SW Canyon
Road, Portland, Oregon 97221.
November Beef
Manapement tips
rvvMnna narasite control olan
" r i .
i With the high cost of maintain
ing a cow herd a careful culling
program is a must. Although most
culling is done in the fall when the
calves are weaned, culling should
be a year-around program. A per
manent identification system so
animals can be identified without
being restrained is a vital part of a
culling program. If animals are
properly identified, the producer
can note cows which should be
culled as he observes problems
throughout the year.
Several tests should be applied
when culling in the fall. Barren or
open cows are the first group which
should be removed. Retaining an
open cow is seldom justified regard
less of the size or quality of her last
calf. Any unsoundness which might
interfere with the cow bearing or
nursing a calf or which might result
in unsatisfactory performance on
the range in the coming year is a
basis for culling. The third basis for
culling is the weight and quality of
the calf weaned.
Palpate for Pregnancy. The fail
ure to palpate cows in the fall can
result in 1 6 percent of the cow herd
being carried open through the
winter feeding period. This sets an
upper limit of 84 percent of the
cows wintered which could wean a
calf. The failure to remove open
cows from the herd can reduce the
potential profit per cow in the herd
by nearly $60 per head.
Remove Unsound cows. In the
average year, one of each 100 cows
in the herd will need to be culled for
unsoundness. Failure to remove
this cow might mean that the cow
would not wean a calf, and might
also result in loss of the income
which would have been received
from selling the cow. Cows observed
with such problems as lump jaw or
cancer eye might in one year become
bad enough to cause condemna
tion of their carcasses. Cows with
saggy, poorly attached udders or
with large balloon teats which are
difficult to nurse should also be
culled. Such cows are more subject
to udder injury and are a problem
in muddy weather since calves often
refuse to nurse mud-caked teats.
At times over 18 percent of the
cows will need to be replaced each
year just to account for the open
and unsound cows removed and to
replace those that had died. If an 80
percent calf crop is being weaned,
23 percent of the calves weaned or
nearly half the heifers would be
needed just to maintain herd size.
Any culling based on performance
must be over and above this number.
In a herd that had not been on a
performance program, culling for
performance would need to be much
higher to maintain a productive
herd.
Condition is one additional con
sideration when culling cows. On
the average, the weaning weight of
the calf and the amount of fat
which the cow puts on her own
body have a negative relationship.
In other words, fat, patchy cows do
not usually raise good calves. If the
herd is on a production testing
program, these cows will usually be
eliminated on the basis of the size
of the calf weaned. If the herd is not
performance testing, selling overly
fat cows would probably be wise.
Another item which should receive
consideration in the culling pro
gram is the disposition of individ
ual animals. Cows that are highly
nervous act as a constant source of
irritation to the entire herd and
should be removed from the herd.
An occasional cow seems to lack
the maternal instinct required to
properly care for her calf. Such
cows may leave the calf when born
or may abandon it if confronted by
a coyote or dog. On the other
extreme is the cow that will charge
anything which moves when her
calf is young. This type of individ
ual is a hazard to family members
or others who might unknowingly
come near her. Individuals in both
of these categories should be iden
tified at calving time as prime can
didates for culling.
Preg-test your cows
to include ootn internal (worms
and grubs) and external (lice) par
asites and therefore consider the
economics and benefits of pastes,
pour-ons and injectable!.
'Vaccinate four to ten months
old heifers for brucellosis. This is a
must; its the law now.
Consider the proper time to
vaccinate pregnant females for lep
tospirosis (should be done during
the last trimster of pregnancy).
Evaluate the nutritional value
of stored hay and plan a winter
feeding program for brood cows,
first calf heifers and replacements.
Continue proper mineral and
salt supplementation to include sele
nium. Pregnancy check females and
cull those w hich are open. Also cull
based on performance, bad feet,
bad eyes, bad ulcer, disposition,
etc...
Pregnancy testing or palpation
as a routine practice at the end of
the breeding season can be an
important tool in the efficient opera
tion of a beef cow herd. Carrying
non-pregnant cows for a full year
without any return is one of the
largest drains on profit.
The advantages of early preg
nancy detection in beef cattle are as
follows:
1. Itgives early warning of breed
ing trouble, such as infertility in
males and problem breeders in
females.
2. It makes it possible to rebreed
or sell non-pregnant females.
3. It allows for separation and
grouping of females as pregnant,
and non-pregnant giving an oppor
tunity for proper management, i.e.
nutrition culling and so forth.
4. It gives a operator an oppor
tunity to effectively utilize his facil
ities at all seasons of the year and
particularly at calving time.
5. It makes it possible to guaran
tee pregnancy on females that are
for sale.
Cows are commonly pregnancy
tested by "rectal palpation." By the
second month, in heiters, and the
third month in cows, the uterus
becomes enlarged, especially in the
pregnant horn and drops into the
abdominal cavity. An experienced
technician can ascertain the signs
of pregnancy by feeling with the
gloved hand through the rectal
wall. Accuracy in pregnancy test
ing depends upon the ability to
recognize changes in the tone, size
and location of the uterine horns
and changes in the uterine arteries.
Pregnancy testing is a popular
management tool because it affords
early pregnancy diagnosis and there
is little hazard to the animal when
performed by an experienced opera
tor. It is recommended that cows be
pregnancy tested as part of he fall
operation after the calves have been
weaned and before moving to the
winter range. This practice will
assure that only cows that are car
rying a calf will be overwintered.
By selling those cows that are open,
you save the cost of their winter
feed hich is usually valued at $50
$125. depending upon the type of
operation.