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 Michelle Feeding Chickens  The Awesome and Incomparable Natasha  Griz only wants food  Jake  Pup and Chick  Pups and Chicks  Customer Appreciation Day  Georgia  Olivia  View us on Issaquah Undressed!  View us on Facebook! | ||
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The Grange Supply provides for Pets & WildlifeDepartment Manager Michelle Boman
To keep your pet safe and clean, we carry a full selection of grooming products and bedding. And, because no life is complete without a little fun and adventure, we have a large selection of toys and treats to help you bring some surprise and stimulation into your pets' life. 
 Pet and Wildlife Links at The Grange Supply
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 We carry various products dealing with pet odors The Grange Supply is a co-op dedicated to our members, our employees, and our community since 1934. We take pride in the Grange Experience of providing friendly, helpful service & quality products with reasonable prices. We conduct our business for the benefit of our members always striving for continued growth & profitability with absolute integrity & pride. Hello Hummingbirds!by Michelle BomanJune 27th, 2010 I love summer and have been in heaven this past week enjoying the gorgeous weather around me. I am spending as much time as I can outside with my dogs and chickens and I am excited to see more hummingbirds in the past week than I have the past year! Judging by how many feeders I have sold lately, I don’t think I am the only person enjoying these increased visits. In our area, there are 2 species of hummingbirds that are commonly seen. The Anna’s Hummingbird is seen year round and their habitat is very influenced by humans. Anna’s Hummingbirds regularly visit feeders and are often seen in urban/suburban areas. The males have beautiful ruby crowns and defend their area (including their favorite feeder) with beautiful dive displays. The Rufous Hummingbird are common residents during the summer. They are often seen in forested areas and lowlands and will move up to flowering mountain meadows later in the season. The Rufous Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the Puget Sound. Here is a popular recipe for home made nectar. This recipe simulates the natural sucrose content of nectar producing flowers and offers a healthy source of energy and calories. 1. In a saucepan, combine 4 parts water to 1 part sugar. 2. Boil for 2 minutes to help dissolve the sugar (and slow the fermentation process) 3. Allow to cool fully before putting in the feeder. Helpful Hints: - Extra nectar can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week - Do not use honey, brown sugar, molasses or sugar substitutes. Honey, brown sugar and molasses are too heavy and can not be efficiently processed by hummingbirds. Sugar substitutes do not have enough caloric energy. - Feeders should be cleaned once a week to prevent mold and contamination. - Although hummingbirds are attracted to bright colors, it is not necessary to dye the nectar. Purchase a brightly colored feeder, plant red flowers near the feeder or place a red gazing ball under it. These bright colors will attract the hummingbirds attention without using dye. When I get home tonight, I will be hanging up my hummingbird feeders and I look forward to seeing even more traffic! If you are interested in feeding hummingbirds (or any birds!) stop on by and see me next time you are in Issaquah. We can select the right feeder for you so you can get started! Traveling with Petsby Michelle BomanJune 13th, 2010 Lucky me, Monday evening I leave for a week long vacation! Sadly, my dogs will be staying home but I know more and more people who are bringing their dogs (and cats, too) along for vacation. Are you considering traveling with your pets this summer? If so, here are some tips to help keep your travels pleasant: - Make sure the pet friendly hotel is actually pet friendly. Just because the travel site says its pet friendly, does not make it so. Call in advance to make sure your pets will be welcomed and to guarantee that your pets meet any breed or weight restrictions they might have. There are tons of websites dedicated to pet friendly travel. Take advantage of them! - Take a moment to research the place you are going. Find out where the closest emergency care vet is. Hopefully, you’ll never need to visit, but having that information could save your pets life. - Make sure your dog collar has relevant contact information. If your dog gets lost and the collar only has your home phone number or address, it won’t be much help. Buy a tag that has your cell phone number on it or your hotel information. - If you are traveling by car, make the journey safe. If your dog tends to move around a lot while driving, invest in a harness that can buckle your dog in or a travel carrier like PetMate carriers. An overly active dog in the vehicle is a distraction to you and potentially dangerous for him. Also, letting your dog stick his head out the window risks serious injury to the eye, so be careful. - If your dog is nervous while traveling, consider a calming supplement. Products like Naturvet’s Quiet Moments/Calming Chews and Homeopet’s Anxiety are both wonderful, natural supplements that help bring ease to your pet. After all, you want him to enjoy the vacation too. - Beware of heatstroke. Leaving a pet in a parked car can be a deadly mistake. The temperature in a parked car can become too hot rapidly. With only hot air to breath, your pet can quickly suffer brain damage or die from heatstroke. Open windows, shaded parking spots and air conditioned cars with the motor off won’t protect your pet. Recognize these signs of heat stroke: heaving panting, glazed eyes, rapid pulse rate, dizziness, vomiting or a deep red/purple tongue. If you think your dog is experiencing heat stroke, get him to a vet immediately. Keeping these tips in mind can save you a lot of frustration and heart ache. Happy vacation season to you all… and I’ll see you back here in a week! =) You Can't Always Get What You Want!by Michelle BomanJune 10th, 2010 The Rolling Stones tell us that “You Can't Always Get What You Want” and they are right. Lately my life seems like a daily testament to these words of wisdom. I can’t always get what I want. Certainly the same thing can be said of my dogs as I am often forced to deny them what they want. I wonder what my dogs think of this. Do they go through life wanting, wanting, wanting and always feeling frustrated? I recognize that I must rule the roost, so to speak, and that part of owning an animal is protecting it from itself (at least where Bowser is concerened). After all, animals don’t have cause and effect reasoning like we humans do and a primary operating level is instant gratification. So they don’t always get what they want, do they understand that they always get what they need? Am I communicating with my dogs to the best of my ability? Properly communicating with our dogs requires that we understand their behavior. To understand their behavior we have to recognize their nature. Although domesticated, they still maintain many of their natural instincts. Predator: Dogs are first and foremost predators. While this doesn’t mean your dog will be after every cat it sees (although that’s a possibility) it does mean the instincts have remained. In addition to that, our dogs are equipped with incredible vision, great hearing and in many breeds a powerful sense of smell. Pack Members: Dogs are social animals. In order to develop properly, they need social interaction and a pack structure. Dogs who are denied these crucial elements can become aggressive, fearful or anxious. Dogs with anxiety can develop a multitude of inappropriate behaviors. Explorers: Our dogs are explorers. They want to see all of their environment… and they want to experience it. Dogs have no understanding of property, so appropriate behavior has to be learned. Scavengers: Dogs love to scavenge. It doesn’t matter how great your dogs diet is, when he finds another animals droppings, a dead rat or spoiled garbage, he just wants a taste. Keeping these instincts in mind, and with the effort of good training, effective communication can occur. Establishing routine, rules and order in your house will allow for a happier pack. Like children, dogs need love and boundaries. So, to my question, do my beagles understand why they can’t always get what they want? No, they don’t. I think I could take Bowser through every training course in the world and he would never really understand why eating a tray of brownies is not allowed. I also recognize that I have not done a good enough job of establishing dominance in my pack. I have a feeling that Bowser thinks of us as co-pilots in life, equal in all ways except for my nimble hands. So there is something I can vow to work on. That being said, I have to believe that my dogs know they always get what they need. Every morning, they wake me up with enthusiasm as they run to the kitchen for breakfast, then run to the door for outside adventuring. And every night when I cook dinner for myself, the dogs know that their doggy plate will be coming soon. No doubt about it. Which Dog Park Around Issaquah?by Michelle BomanMay 30th, 2010 Although it was pouring down rain yesterday, my dogs really wanted to be outside doing something. Well, I just couldn’t muster any enthusiasm to be outdoors so I made a deal that on my next day off we would definitely go out exploring. Now I realize it will be raining on Wednesday and I will be out in the wet, adventuring with my beagles. Now, to decide which dog park to go to: Marymoore Dog Park - Redmond: This park is doggy heaven. Unfortunately it is only partially fenced, so it is a dog park that I never get to enjoy. (The beagles can not resist an open area… even if that open area is a busy parking lot). There are streams and trees and lots of grassy areas for dogs to romp around and adventure in and parking is only $1. Issaquah Highlands Bark Park - Issaquah Highlands: Has a separate area for small dogs and is fully fenced with double gates for secure entrance. Grassy hill, benches and water fountains are also available. As this park is in the middle of the Highland’s community, there are a lot of regulars there. It’s a good idea to introduce yourself. Beaver Lake Dog Park - Sammamish: Fully fenced with a separate area for small dogs under 30 lbs. I haven’t been to this dog park yet (we will probably try it out on Wednesday) but I have heard wonderful reviews of it from friends. Robinswood Animal Corral - Bellevue: Fully fenced with wood chips covered ground. There is a separate corral for small dogs, but most of the ‘action’ happens in the big dog corral. There are no trash cans inside the corrals, so be prepared to carry your dogs waste with you! Luther Burbank - Mercer Island: Fenced dog park with lake access for swimmers! As I said I will probably end up at Beaver Lake Dog park this week but I am interested in hearing what you think. Do you have a favorite dog park in the area? Is there a great dog park that I didn’t mention? Please share! And if I hear from you before Wednesday, you might just change my plans! =) Why FirstMate Pet Food?by Michelle BomanMay 27th, 2010 I haven’t talked to you much about nutrition lately and it’s time I started again. So today I am going to be writing about FirstMate. I have personally toured their facility and spent time speaking to nearly everybody in their company, from their sales reps to their production manager to the owner. They are a company committed to excellence and it really shows in their food. So why do I like FirstMate? Well, first, they are relatively local, being made in Chilliwack, B.C. and they source all of their products from North America (except for Lamb, because Australia grows the healthiest lamb in the world and everybody buys from there). Whenever possible I like to shop local! FirstMate also owns their own facility giving them total control over ingredient and manufacturing quality. Like all great foods, FirstMate uses human grade ingredients, no corn, no soy, no by-products and nothing artificial. FirstMate makes several wonderful formulas, but I am going to talk specifically about their Grain Free formulas. FirstMate has been making a grain free diet since 1995 and theirs is unique. All of their Grain Free formulas are made with single protein and carbohydrate sources. That means there is only one protein source (either Herring, Chicken or Lamb) and one carbohydrate source in each formula. All of their Grain Free formulas use potato as the carbohydrate source. Potato is a great source of energy and is easily metabolized by our animals. Using single source protein/carbohydrate sources creates a simple diet that provides increased digestibility, reduced bodily stress and reduces the likeliness of an allergic, or negative, reaction. FirstMate is committed to using PROVEN levels of protein and fat in their diets. This ensures healthy filtration through your pets liver and kidneys. While some grain free foods use protein and fat levels considerably higher, FirstMate’s diets have protein and fat levels that have been successfully tested for nearly 50 years. Another unique feature of FirstMate is their use of blueberries in their formulas. Bluebrries are proven to improve eyesight and memory, are a great source of dietary fiber and antioxidants. Antioxidants help make a healthy immune system. Blueberries also lower the pH of animal urine and aid in the prevention of urinary tract infections. I have been feeding my animals FirstMate for… 4 years now. I rotate between the 3 flavors and supplement their diet with canned food and raw bones. My dog’s and cats coats are beautiful and my beagles shed much less than they did before. Of course, being beagles, they still shed a ton! In addition to beautiful coats, all of my babies are active and energetic, with clear eyes and ears… and a clean bill of health! During the month of June I am going to be running a promotion on FirstMate’s Grain Free Chicken and Blueberry, in the 28.5 lb bag. Look for big savings… like $5 off a bag!! If you haven’t yet tried FirstMate, this will be a great opportunity to try it out. Next time you are in the area, stop by and see me so we can talk about trying FirstMate on your pup or cat! Building Chicken Coopsby Michelle BomanMay 24th, 2010 Hello fellow Backyard Chickeners! Today I am writing about a subject that is the focus of most of my free time these days… chicken coops! I currently have 5 chickens living in my bathroom and I am ready for them to move on out. Of course, that requires that a secure chicken coop and run be constructed. Currently, my coop is built and we just have small details to take care of like locks on all of the doors and hardware cloth to be installed along all of the ventilation. Since I am not working Wednesday this week, I plan on painting the interior of the coop with a water based primer so it will be very easy to clean out once the chickens move in. My goal is to move the ladies outside this weekend. There are a lot of factors that go into building a good coop and a ton of different styles out there. If you are going to build your own coop, I suggest you take some time researching online, looking at different styles and pictures to find the coop that best suites your personal goals. But, no matter what style of coop you construct, there are some points to keep in mind. 1. Coop Space. A good rule of thumb is 4 sq. ft. per chicken (for standard breeds, 1/2 that for bantams). Your chickens need space in the coop to be healthy and happy. Remember, they may spend a lot of time outside during the summer, but they will spend a lot of time inside during the cold, wet winter months. Cramped chickens are not happy chickens and unhappy chickens are much more likely to peck at each other. 2. Run Space. Plan on 10 sq. ft. per chicken (for standard breeds, 1/2 that for bantams). 3. Access. This sounds silly, but don’t forget to leave room for you. Cleaning the coop, filling the feed and water, getting eggs… make sure you can do it. I have spoken to several people whose biggest coop regret is not making the doors big enough. You will enjoy your chickens that much more if you make raising them easy and nobody wants to spend a ton of time hunched over in a too tight door scrubbing chicken poop! 4. Predators. Sadly, and obviously, there are things that would like to get at your chickens. Raccoons being a primary threat, don’t forget hawks, eagles, rats, cats, dogs, etc, etc, etc. Raccoons can and will climb and dig their way to your chickens, so a run needs to be covered on the top and protected from the bottom. There are several ways to go about this and I reccomend you research further to see what method you are most comfortable with. Another thing to consider is raccoon proof locks on any and all doors. 5. Ventilation & Air Flow. This is very important for the health of your chickens and often overlooked. We have added ventilation along the entire roof line and then a window (filled with hardware cloth) on a side wall. 6. A Coop is Never Done. Like anything, your coop will be a constantly evolving project. So dig in and have fun! This list is by no means complete but certainly a good starting point. Whether you are building your own coop or purchasing a pre-made, be sure to consider these points before moving forward. I have found a lot of beautiful coops online, but when I really looked at the functionality, they turned out to be lacking. Here is a link to a free coop plan by Purina Mills. We are building a modified version of this coop for our ladies. We made ours larger to incorporate the 4 sq. ft per chicken rule, added a window, added a pull-out drop tray, moved the people door and made it larger and are installing the roosts differently. But, the basic design is very similar to Purina’s plan. I will take some pictures of my coop and post, as soon as the weather cooperates! In the mean time, here is a picture of one of my incredibly adorable chickens! | ||||
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