Spilyay Tymoo
Warm Springs, Oregon
December 3, 1998
Arlene Boileau
4-H & Youth
Bob Pawelek Clint Jacks Deanie Johnson
Livestock Staff Chair, Madras Secretary
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service
BernadetteHandley Zack del Nero Sue Ryan
Home Economics Natural Resources 4-H Assistant
(503) 553-3238
Internet Address: http:www.orst.edudeptwsext
The Oregon State University Extension Service staff Is devoted to extending research-based Information from OSU to the people of Warm Springs
In agriculture, home economics, 4-H youth, forestry, community development, energy and extension sea grant program with OSU, United States
Department of Agriculture, Jefferson County and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs cooperating. The Exenslon Service offers its programs
and materials equally to all people.
The Clover speaks-
Natural Resource notables-
by Sue Ryan
Our Spilyay time came up sooner than I
expected! So, this issue I am bringing to you
a lesson from the Minnesota Extension
Service's Cloverbuds Discovery program.
This project is meant for 6 to 8 year olds and
is a fun one for the winter
months. The activities don't have to be done
all at once, but can be done over a few weeks
or months. Birdwatching is considered a
Natural Resources activity.
Facts to Know:
Group Size:Any
Time Estimate: 1-2 hours
Recommended Ages: 6-8 '
Supplies Needed: Empty gallon-size plas
tic jug ( detergent or bleach jug), Scissors,
Marking Pen, Wire, Glue, Rock or Stone,
Food for Birds.
Resources: Bird Identification Book
Purpose:
To identify common characteristics of
birds.
Acquaint children with bird habits.
Gain appreciation of how birds are spe
cially equipped to suit the way they live.
Make bird feeders and learn other ways to
help provide food for birds.
Build self-esteem through successful ex
periences. Encourage creativity.
Subject Background:
How many birds can you name ? What are
some things they all have in common ?
You probably started by thinking that a
bird is an animal with feathers. Feathers
protect a bird's skin and help keep it warm.
And most of us know every bird hatches
from an egg. The eggs are kept warm by the
father or mother bird. When young birds
hatch out of eggs, they are usually fed by
their parents. Here are some other bird facts:
Birds...
have no teeth.
grind their food in an organ called the
gizzard.
have lungs and breathe air.
are warm-blooded.
have two wings and two feet.( Penguins
have flippers instead of wings and cannot fly)
build nests to hold their eggs and protect
their young.
vary in size from 3 inches(hummingbird)
to 8 feet(ostrich).
have hard beaks that they use to eat, take
care of their babies, build nests, and protect
themselves.
Each bird has the kind of feet best suited
to its way of life. Their feet help them walk,
hop, run, swim, climb and perch. Climbing
feet are needed by birds such as woodpeckers
and parrots. Webbed feet are needed for
water birds such as ducks, gulls, storks, and
geese. The feet of birds such as roadrunners
and ostriches are made for running. Crows,
chickens, turkeys and quail have feet de
signed for scratching in the soil for grains and
seeds. Birds of prey like hawks, eagles, and
owls have grasping feet with large, curved
claws to hold or snatch mice, fish, toads and
other food. Feet with one hind toe and three
front toes help songbirds like wrens, spar
rows, and robins perch on branches.
Birds make many different sounds. Many
birds, such as sparrows and wrens, sing and
chirp. Hens cluck, crows caw, and geese
honk. Vultures grunt, swans hiss, doves coo,
and owls hoot. Some birds stay in one area all
year long. The bluejay, quail, cardinal,
nuthatch, chickadee, English sparrow, and
downy woodpecker are stay-at-home birds.
Other birds are travelers. They migrate or
move from one place to another when the
seasons change. When the weather gets cold
and food is harder to find, these birds fly to
warmer areas. When spring comes, they re
turn again to build nests. Some well known
bird travelers are robins, Baltimore orioles,
ruby-throated hummingbirds, and Canada
geese. Birds eat a wide variety of foods
nectar, seeds, nuts, insects, fish, and small
animals. Birdfcedcrs attract birds to your
yard. You can have hours of fun studying
your bird guests.. .and help them survive at
the same time!
Things To Do:
-Using an empty, clean, gallon-size plas
tic jug, make a bird feeder to hang near trees
or shrubs.
-Enlarge and draw the door pattern on a
piece of heavy paper and cut it out.
Trace the pattern two inches up from the
bottom of one side of the jug. ( See Figure 1 .)
Carefully cut out the door. An adult may
help. I
Make two small holes at the top of the jug
just below the cap. Place the wire through the
holes in the jug. Glue cap in place. (Figure 2.)
Find a heavy, flat rock to add weight
to the feeder. Clean the bottom of the rock
and glue it to the inside of the feeder.
-Hang your feeder with the help of an
adult or older friend. If possible, hang the
feeder near trees or shrubs in a place away
from the wind to keep the feeder from spill
ing. Tie the string or wire to a sturdy tree
branch. The best food to place in your feeder
are; bread crumbs, broken cookies, sunflower
seeds, white millet, crackers.
-Follow these simple rules to safely bring
birds close to your home:
-Hang your feeder where cats cannot harm
the birds and where squirrels cannot rob the
feeder. !.'
-In cold weather, once you begin feeding
birds, you must continue to feed them each
day. Why ? Birds become dependent upon
your feeder. If you do not keep a constant
supply of food in the feeder, the birds could
starve.
-Check your feeder daily to see if any food
remains.
id A
Grazing Intensity: Critique and Approach
The following summary was originally
published by Holcchck, Gomes, Molinar,
and Gait in the October 1 998 issue of Range
lands. How important is grazing intensity to
rangeland health?
We believe many ranchers and range
managers are probably confused because
some range experts have written that grazing
timing andor frequency are of primary im
portance in grazing outcomes while others
have emphasized grazing intensity. This is
sue has emerged as an important controversy
in range management.
This controversy has created a serious
dilemma for public range managers. Should
they base their management around pre
scribed numbers of animals for prescribed
periods of time for prescribed seasons or
should they use flexible systems that con
tinually attempt to keep animal numbers in
balance with forage resources?
Basically, the case for use of grazing in
tensity as a primary tool in range manage
ment centers around 30 long term grazing
management studies conducted at various
locations in the United States and Canada.
These studies generally show that financial
returns from livestock production, trend in
ecological condition, forage production,
watershed status, and soil stability are all
closely associated with grazing intensity.
We consider these studies the cornerstone
of scientific range management, and hope
that all ranchers and range managers would
read at least the ones applicable to their area.
Various studies comparing the effects of
continuous and rotation grazing systems on
rangeland vegetation were reviewed and
found that forage production was on average
about 13 higher under rotation schemes.
However, a much greater increase (35)
occurred when heavy stocking was reduced
to a moderate rate. Generally, rotation sys
tems were most advantageous in terms of
improving vegctational composition and
forage production in the more humid prairie
ecosystems. However, they had limited or no
benefit in the more arid range types.
Our consideration of the various grazing
studies finds that keeping animal numbers in
balance with forage resources is an essential
component of any ranching operation. Vari
ous measures of grazing intensity, although
imperfect, remain as our primary means for
decisions on how well this is being accom
plished. With set stocking rather than flex
ible stocking, livestock numbers must be
about 30 below grazing capacity to avoid
range degradation. Both range managers and
ranchers should be aware that range manage
ment is much more a journey than a destina
tion. Success depends on being constantly
prepared for the uncertainties of climate,
livestock prices, political policies, and un
foreseen biological and economic events.
Plan Now for the winter of 1998-1999
To be a 4-H Leader
What is the 4-H Leaders Job?
1. To help 4-H members learn specific project skills. To help 4-H Members have fun with
projects While "Learning by doing."Youth remember better If they actually experience
something and have An opportunity for "hands on learning." Learning Takes place within the
learner- it is not something Done to the learner. We encourage skills that will Be useful to
the young person now and in the future. We help each member develop good habits,
Experiment with new ideas and practice problem- Solving skills. By doing this, we help them
become Self-directed, productive, contributing members of society.
, , 2.To teach members how to think not what to think. We help develop creative thinking in
young people by giving them A chance to make decisions on their own. They'll learn from
their own choices.
3. To recognize and encourage each 4-H member so they Feel noticed and important The
most significant recognition That can be given to members is sincere Praise, Attention or
Compliments- letting them know they are important and What they have done is worthwhile.
This is what 4-H is All about- the personal development of the Girl and Boy. Welcome to the
World of 4-H. The 4-H Program at Warm Springs is in need of 4-H Leaders for the winter
of 1 998 and 1 999 The Youth at Warm Springs are waiting for you And want to learn. So think
about it And gave Arlene or Sue a call at 553-3238 and become a 4-H leader.
HOME SWEET HOME-
INDOOR AIR HAZARDS
When most people think about air haz
ards, they think of cities covered in hazy
smog, or long lines of cars spitting out
exhaust. But what about the air in your
home? Can it be hazardous to.vou health?
In some home, the quality of indoor air
can be worse than outdoor air.
If you have frequent headaches, feel
nauseated or are often tired, you may
have poor air quality in you home. Feel
better outside the house? Search your
home for potential air hazards such as
mold, mildew, carbon monoxide, form
aldehyde, radon, asbestos and lead.
Household products and some furnish
ings can also threaten the quality of your
home's air. Be on the look out for pollut
ants from fireplaces, tobacco smoke and
remodeling activities as well
To prevent the effect of mold and
mildew, keep bathrooms, basement and
By Bernadette Handley, OSU Extension
Home Ec Agent
other rooms clean and dry. Use a disin
fectant to clean surface with mold on
them. This includes humidifier, dehu
midifiers, and air conditioners. Keep
humidity levels below 50 and make
sure there is plenty of ventilation.
When remodeling protect against the
release of lead, asbestos and formalde
hyde. Lead and asbestos were use for
home building until the late 1970's. Pre
vent exposure to these materials by con
sulting professionals before remodeling.
Formaldehyde can be found in pressed
wood products such as paneling and par
ticleboard. Apply varnish or a special
formaldehyde sealant to the exposed
edges and surfaces of these products to
block the release of formaldehyde.
For more information contact 1-888-8
PUEBLO and ask for Item 636E.
-New For Consumers, http:
www.pueblo.gsa.gov
Mm
Holiday Magic on a Shoestring
Do you find yourself facing the holi
day season with a mixture of anticipation
and dread? Did opening your credit card
bills last January cause emotional pain?
Maybe, it's time to evaluate your expec
tations and pare down the cost of your
end-of-year holiday activities. A sim
pler, more meaningful season can reduce
stress and stretch your resources. Debra
Minar Driscoll, OSU Extension Educa
tor suggests some books and a web page
that might be helpful. Your local library
or used bookstore may have these titles
available.
Unplug the Christmas Machine: A
Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy
Back into the Season. Now in its 13th
printing, this book remains one of the
most comprehensive guides to manag
ing Christmas stress and combating com
mercialism. Jo Robinson and Jean
Coppock Staeheli give readers solid ad
vice on how to make their celebrations
more spiritual and fun and less material
istic. The Tightwad Gazette: Promoting
Thrift as a Viahle Alternative Lifestyle.
Amy Dacyczyn, the author of the origi
nal book and volumes II and III has a
knack for sharing ideas to simplify cel
ebrations and drastically cut the cost of
gift giving. Articles in the volumes in
clude "chopping tree costs", "tips for
better giving", "cheapskate wrapping",
"rejuvenating second hand toys" and "I'm
dreaming of a tight Christmas".
Your Money or Your Life. Authors
Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez empha
size the importance of having a long
term financial plan, tracking spending,
and reducing costs. Chapter 2 describes
the "fulfillment curve", a tool that can
help determine "how much is enough"
STOCKMAN'S ROUNDUP: Designing your grazing system-
'M
by Bob Pawelek
OSU Livestock Agent
If you have livestock, you already have a
grazing system of some kind. It might be one
pasture you use all the time. That's a system,
alright But to be efficient in management of
livestock, you should remember that any
grazing management problem usually has
many possible solutions and very few things
you can do are "right" or "wrong." Most of
all, no one grazing system is best.
To be successful, you will need to cre
atively combine a few principles into a graz
ing plan designed specifically for your
operation's unique circumstances:
Timing. Avoid repeated grazing during
critical stages of plant growth. This is when
plants are starting new leafy tissue. This
includes new growth in the spring or fall and
midseason regrowth after grazing.
Frequency. If given an opportunity to
regrow and replenish its energy stores, a
plant can be grazed several times during one
growing season. But that plant needs time to
regrow. Avoid grazing too often during a
single growing season.
Severity. Avoid removing too much of a
plant's leaf area. If too little leaf area remains
after grazing, the plant will be unable to
regrow and replenish its energy reserves.
Season. Crested wheatgrass can cope with
grazing an area at the same time of year, year
after year. But varying the season of grazing
from year to year is recommended for most
kinds of plants.
Type of Cattle. Graze the type of cattle
best matched w ith the kind of forage avail
able and its nutritional quality. Forexambple,
dormant forage will not meet the high nutri
ent requirements for growing yearlings. You
should also match the type of cattle to your
topography. Cows with calves, for example.
usually will not use steep topography as fully
as dry cows or yearlings. Texas Longhorns
work best for verticle pastures.
Cattle raised on flat, open grasslands usu
ally do not adapt well when relocated to steep
or timbered grazing lands. An animal's pre
vious grazing experience should also be con
sidered when purchasing new animals. This
is because cattle unfamiliar with the kind of
plants in a pasture usually will not perform as
well as cattle that previously have grazed
similar forages.
Number of Cattle. Too many animals will
cause cattle performance to decline, but the
soil and vegetation will have deteriorated
before animal performance begins to suffer.
Cattle Distribution. Prevent large num
bers of cattle from congreating, especially on
sensitive areas such as along streams. If
cattle are causing soil or plant damage, it is
often a problem of poor animal distribution
rather than too many animals.
Grazing Selectivity. Cattle make choices
and select those plant species and plant parts
they find the least objectionable. Grazing
systems can affect the extent to w hich cattle
are allowed to graze selectively. The best
individual animal performance will result
when cattle are allow ed to be the most selec
tive in choosing their forage. Individual ani
mal performance will drop below maxi
mum whenever cattle are forced to graze
less selectively. Non-selective grazing is
appropriate when the objective is to prevent
plants from becoming too coarse or "wolfy."
Cattle generally perform better under
less intensive grazing systems, whereas
forage plants are ususally healthy under
slightly more intensive grazing systems.
Because the conditions and objectives
of your operation are unique, the economic
outcome of a new grazing system can't be
precisely known until after it is imple
mented. Therefore, be cautious when con
sidering economic projections of changes
to your grazing plan.
Good grazing systems develop condi
tions for soil and vegetation improvement.
Several years may pass, however, before
any improvement is very noticeable.
Flexibility is critical. Manage your pas
tures and animals according to the varying
plant, animal, and economic conditions that
exist, not according to specific calendar
dates or pasture rotation schedules.
You're the key to success. If it's your
grazing plan, then it's up to you to make it
work.
for the holidays.
The Simple Living Guide: A
Sourcebook for Less Stressful, More Joy
ful Living Janet Luhrs, founder and pub
lisher of the "Simple Living Journal" has
compiled many useful ideas into this
large book. Check out the Holiday chap
ter for ideas that will save money and
promote sanity during the season.
The Dollar Stretcher Located on the
Web at www.stretcher.com, this site has
a wealth of cost-cutting ideas on a variety
of topics. The topic index at the bottom
of the home page is easy to use and lets
you look for specific ideas from previous
issues. A search for "Christmas" brought
up a list of 28 articles on cutting holiday
expenses. Don't forget that many librar
ies and public schools offer free Internet
access.
SAFE SITTER
A training program will be offered to
assist youth in understanding the role and
responsibility of baby-sitting.
When: December 21 & 22
Time: 9 AM - 4 PM
Where: Education BIdg
Cost: $ 25 includes lunch and snacks
Enrollment: Limited to 10
Contact OSU Ext 553-3238 to re
serve your spot.
4 H Clothing Club
Leader Training
When: December 14
Time: 7P-9P
Where: Education Building
Instructor: Bernadette HandleyJ
OSU Ext Home Ec Agent
Contact the 4 H office for
additional information
553-3238.
t