Duck Nutrition – Tips To Raise And Grow Healthy Ducks

Irrespective of the way ducks get their food whether by scavenging or consuming a full ration, duck nutrition must contain all the required nutrients which are vital for growth, maintenance and reproduction. Their feeding practice partly depends on the total number being raised, in case only a few are being kept and are able to access areas they can forage they may survive, grow and be able to lay eggs by feeding on available foods like insects, frogs, snails, table scraps and green plants.
However, they will grow very slowly and the number of eggs they will lay will be low. Therefore, for increased performance it is essential to practice good duck nutrition by providing them with complete nutritional commercially made duck feeds or alternatively you can give them either chicken feeds or poultry feed concentrates mixed with grains.
Good duck nutrition needs to contain similar nutrients as chickens’, but the amount slightly varies particularly in regard to the ratio of every nutrient to the energy present in the diet. Just like other poultry, ducks do not really need protein but require the individual amino acids present in the dietary proteins.
During digestion, the proteins present in the diet are usually broken down to amino acids which the duck absorbs and uses it to make its own proteins that are used in the body for instance those in feathers and muscles. Some of these amino acids usually, the essential amino acids have to be provided in the diet since the duck is not able to make them from any other sources.
Therefore when formulating duck feed, the main attention is given to meet their requirements of essential amino acids. The level of protein that meets the amino acid requirement for the duck can vary slightly depending on the content of the amino acid of the ingredients employed in each formulation.
Good duck nutrition also includes clean drinking water, and this must be available in plenty at least for around 8-12 hours in a day. For market ducks or breeder ducks of over the age of 3 weeks, it may be essential to shut off water and feed at night to assist in maintaining a dry condition of the litter inside the building. If properly done, the practice will not be harmful and does not have any effect on the performance of the ducks during moderate temperature periods.
For the period when the temperature rises to above 90A?F, water must be available during the evening until a time when the temperature drops to below 80A?F otherwise water must be available throughout the night.
Ducklings must be given fed on a starter diet from the time they are hatched up to when they are 2 weeks old. The starter diet must be pellets of diameter 1/8 inch or 3.18 mm or crumbles. When they are 2 weeks old, you can feed them on a grower diet of pellets with a diameter of 3/16 or 4.76 mm.
To promote good duck nutrition, the quality of ducks’ feed ingredients is very essential. Grains that have been contaminated with dirt, weed seeds and molds should not be used. In addition, old vitamin or mineral packs must be avoided because their effectiveness is lost with time especially when they get exposed to heat or sunlight.…

Colorado’s Bikems 2008: Paysimplers Don’t Just Donate, We Participate!

Last weekend, six of our own PaySimplers joined an estimated 3,000 cyclists in the 23rd Annual Great-West Life Bike MS, Colorado’s Ride 2008. Each rider is pledged to raise at least $300.00 for the cause, but most go above and beyond that amount. Team PaySimple, comprised of a total of almost 50 friends and family members, together raised over $35,000!

The ride encompassed 150 miles over two days. Starting June 28, Cyclists rode 75 miles from Front Range Community College in Westminster, CO to Ft. Collins, CO and returned to the college the following day. I asked our participants to share their thoughts about the experience or any inspiring moments they had during the 2-day race…

Elissa Beckman, Empowerment Director – “With almost 50 riders on our team, people tended to notice us and comment on our jerseys. It made for a great conversation topic when people would ask, “What is PaySimple?”. I must say, I never thought I’d be conversing with strangers about electronic payment processing while climbing through the mountains of Colorado.”

“Unique experience? Well, I might be the only person in the race who made it the entire 150 miles without a spill, only to eat it as I reached for my medal crossing the finish line. But I am still so happy that I participated!”

Wesley Cropp (on right), Account Executive – “Admiration was a constant feeling over the course of the two-day race; I was in awe at the physical ability of the experienced riders and headstrong nature of those that struggled with the course. The last quarter-mile was lined with supporters and family members, waving flags and holding out medals. With that kind of support, where I once felt tired I then felt like I could make it 20 more miles. That’s what it’s all about.”

Chris Kampfe (on left), Marketing Analyst – “The experience of riding with the team was brilliant. Each turn was a new experience, a constantly changing landscape. And when you came up on a hill, it’s inspiring to have a strong, supportive team to climb it with. It really didn’t hurt that everyone looked fantastic in their spandex either. Just sayin’…”

Jeremy Segale, VP of Operations – “The energy this weekend was amazing, over 3,000 riders uniting together to pedal against MS. I was proud to ride for Team PaySimple, the 7th largest team. It is great to be part of an organization that supports involvement in such a worthy cause.”

Jeff Gardner, President – “This is my fourth year doing this event and I am continually amazed at the support provided by the volunteers of this event, many of which are fighting MS. It is a huge undertaking to support riders of all abilities over such a long distance and the MS Society does an amazing job.”

“My most inspiring moment came from a brief speech at dinner on Saturday night by one of our team members who has three family members with MS. It was an emotional moment for Jamey and his passion to find a cure is very personal and contagious.”

With 82 cents of every dollar raised going to the cause, BikeMS raised an estimated $2.6 million this year. And while the tour is a fun and team-oriented way to raise funds for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, it also creates awareness for the cause and gives hope to the 400,000 Americans living with MS every day.

So recruit some fellow employees, friends, and family members, and get your team together! There are WalkMS and BikeMS events in your area, and an endless number of worthy causes that your small business can get involved in — and you can take it from our own participants, that being involved is much more rewarding than just sending in a check.…

Rheumatic Heart Disease Causes, Symptoms And Treatments

Rheumatic Fever

Rheumatic fever is uncommon in the US, except in children who have had strep infections that were untreated or inadequately treated. Children ages 5 to 15, particularly if they experience frequent strep throat infections, are most at risk for developing rheumatic fever. The infection often causes heart damage, particularly scarring of the heart valves, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood. The damage may resolve on its own, or it may be permanent, eventually causing congestive heart failure (a condition in which the heart cannot pump out all of the blood that enters it, which leads to an accumulation of blood in the vessels leading to the heart and fluid in the body tissues).

Rheumatic Heart Disease Symptoms

The symptoms of rheumatic fever usually start about one to five weeks after your child has been infected with Streptococcus bacteria. The following are the most common symptoms of rheumatic fever. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

– Joint inflammation – including swelling, tenderness, and redness over multiple joints. The joints affected are usually the larger joints in the knees or ankles. The inflammation “moves” from one joint to another over several days.- Small nodules or hard, round bumps under the skin.- A change in your child’s neuromuscular movements (this is usually noted by a change in your child’s handwriting and may also include jerky movements).- Rash (a pink rash with odd edges that is usually seen on the trunk of the body or arms and legs).- Fever.- Weight loss.- Fatigue.- Stomach pains.

The symptoms of rheumatic fever may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your child’s physician for a diagnosis.

Treatment for rheumatic heart disease:

Specific treatment for rheumatic heart disease will be determined by your child’s physician based on:

Your child’s overall health and medical history.

– Extent of the disease.- Your child’s tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies.- Expectations for the course of the disease.- Your opinion or preference.

The best treatment for rheumatic heart disease is prevention. Antibiotics can usually treat strep throat (a Streptococcus bacterial infection) and stop acute rheumatic fever from developing. Antibiotic therapy has sharply reduced the incidence and mortality rate of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.

Children who have previously contracted rheumatic fever are often given continuous (daily or monthly) antibiotic treatments to prevent future attacks of rheumatic fever and lower the risk of heart damage.

If inflammation of the heart has developed, children may be placed on bed rest. Medications are given to reduce the inflammation, as well as antibiotics to treat the Streptococcus infection. Other medications may be necessary to handle congestive heart failure. If heart valve damage occurs, surgical repair or replacement of the valve may be considered.…

Sensitive Teeth Treatment and Prevention For Patients

Ever wondered, why you can’t take up cold, hot or even sweet things in your mouth, without getting aching feeling in your mouth. In some extreme cases, patients can’t even touch their tooth with their tongue or other teeth. In such cases, it is advisable to consult a dentist for your treatment.
Most people ignore this pain due to lack of time and money. Some others simply ignore it that is nothing of concern and dismiss it, altogether. But the fact is that it is a kind of tooth condition, when people have to suffer from pain, as and when they consume anything that hurts their tooth.
There are generally two types of tooth sensitivity:
Dentinal: Dentin, the middle layer of tooth is covered and protected by enamel above the gum line and centum below the gum line. Tooth’s center has a nerve branch, emerging from tooth pulp.
After prolonged neglect, dentin and centum are stripped-off leading to exposure of inner dentin. This dentin has nerve center in it which gets exposed to hot and cold liquid and creates sensitivity. It’s actually the nerves which get affected and cause dentinal sensitivity. One or more teeth can be affected by dentinal sensitivity.
Pulpal: The center of tooth constitutes blood vessels and nerves. When, the pulp of teeth gets exposed to different temperatures, then it causes sensitivity, known as pulpal sensitivity. It is generally connected with single tooth.
Causes of Sensitive teeth are:
o Poor oral hygiene
o Vigorous brushing of teeth, leading to destruction of enamel of teeth
o Tooth wearing for longer time.
o A filling which gets cracked over a period of time
o High consumption of acidic foods or beverages
o Tooth whitening with poor roots and excessive tooth whitening
o Untreated cavities
o Improper surgery in which roots of teeth are exposed
o An infection in tooth
o Broken or cracked tooth
All these problems are avoidable and treatment is also available for them. Therefore, it is better to have proper oral hygiene. Brushing twice a day, using soft brush, have proper and timely dental check-up and keep proper record of all visits help in prevention of sensitive teeth in most cases.…

What an Effective Anti Aging Facial Skin Care Formula Must Contain to Really Work

Did you know an effective anti aging facial skin care formula will provide you with ingredients that will stimulate the production of new collagen and elastin, and prevent the degradation of your hyaluronic acid by enzymes in the skin? On top of this the formula will provide the antioxidants necessary for repairing the damage caused by the activity of free radicals in the skin, which results in the oxidative breakdown of your cells.
The all natural oils and waxes in this product will also introduce a wealth of vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acid vital to the health of your skin. An anti aging product such as this will not only make a huge impact on the firmness, fullness, and overall elasticity of your skin, but it will help you to accomplish your skin care goals safely. Natural compounds generally have no adverse affects.
An anti aging facial skin care formula this safe and effective would certainly become the number one selling cosmetic product, wouldn’t it? This may lead one to wonder why this product isn’t selling more rapidly than it is, because this formula does really exist. I am going to let you in on why you have probably never seen or heard of the formula that I have just described to you.
Unlike the major cosmetic companies, the developers of the all natural formulas featuring the most effective natural ingredients in the world don’t have an almost limitless advertising budget. This company sinks most of the money that it makes into the research and development of products that will better serve you, instead of simply marketing formulas that are not worth the money that you pay for them.
The anti aging facial skin care formulas that the major cosmetics companies’ splash all over every media source possible would fall into the latter category of formulas that do nothing for your skin. These formulas are primarily made up of synthetic compounds, so they only offer you limited quantities of the antioxidants and vital nutrients your skin needs. Even the active wrinkle reducing compounds in these formulas won’t help your skin.
Did you know that the animal derived reticular tissue and hyaluronic acid polymer these companies tout as the answer to eliminating wrinkles cannot be absorbed by your skin? Most consumers are not aware that the incredible molecular density of these substances makes them absolutely useless when attempting to deliver them topically. Products that contain these compounds are a waste of time.
The key active ingredients in the anti aging facial skin care formulas that will give you the results you are after are the keratin protein and enzyme fusion CYNERGY TK with Functional Keratin, and Phytessence Wakame kelp extract. These compounds have been clinically proven to dramatically improve the state of your skin. This formula will shave years from your appearance.
Don’t be fooled by what the major cosmetics companies are trying to sell you, because the anti aging facial skin care formula that will solve all of your problems doesn’t come from them. Products with CYNERGY TK with Functional Keratin and Phytessence Wakame come from a smaller company that resides in New Zealand.
If you’d like to learn more about little known but clinically tested natural ingredients that are used for treating aging skin, visit my website today.…

Info 101 – School Lunches, Obesity, and the Obamas, Too

Along with our collective lack of exercise, also gaining attention for some time now are the lunches served at our nation’s schools. One glance at the typical fare tells it all: chicken fries, taco boat, meatball grinder, pizza, cheeseburger… You get the idea.
Nevertheless, these choices fall within the parameters dictated by the Nutritional Requirements of School Lunches and meeting the recommendations of the applicable 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This means that no more than 30% of calories can come from fat and less than 10% can come from saturated fat. Moreover, school lunches must provide 1/3 of the Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories.
Meanwhile, a U.S. Senate committee just cleared a bill asking for an increase in school lunch funding for the first time in 40 years and calling for higher nutrition standards, as well as school food safety measures. Stay tuned.
The Institute of Medicine’s report, “School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children,” has made these school food recommendations:
– Up the veggies to three-fourths of a cup a day for elementary and middle school kids and one cup a day for high schoolers.
– Provide at least one-half a cup every week of leafy greens, orange veggies, such as sweet potatoes and carrots), and beans.
– Decrease offerings of such starchy veggies as potatoes.
– Offer more fruit and allow no more than half of that fruit to be in juice form.
– Replace whole and 2% milk with 1% and skim milk.
– See that at least half of served grains and breads are whole grain.
– Reduce sodium content from the current 1,600 mg in a typical high schooler’s lunch to 740.
Enter Michelle Obama. Her mission this year is addressing our kids’ nutritional well-being and the obesity epidemic. School breakfast and lunch programs are in her sights, as are food producers and fast-food chains.
No wonder.
Some 31 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program with another 11 million in the breakfast program, both federally assisted.
Plus, children’s consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is up, and we all know you can’t eat just one chip. Speaking of salty and sugary temptations, 98% of our children nowadays eat such snacks-on average, three times a day.
Moreover, researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston found that about one-third of our four- to 19-year-olds eat fast food and thus gain about six extra pounds every year.
We should not be surprised, then, that the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says 16% to 33% of our children are obese. Moreover, an obese adolescent has an 80% chance of growing into an obese adult.
With such good cause for concern, the First Lady is giving televised interviews and presentations at such venues as the School Nutrition Association, while her “Let’s Move” websiteis also making a buzz. Among its offerings for parents are “simple ways to make healthy choices for your family,” along with the latest news in nutrition, school meal programs, and making a difference, school- and community-wise.
Lending support, the President joined forces with her at the annual White House egg rolling event, which dates back to 1878 and President Hayes. Its “Ready, Set, Go!” theme was aimed at teaching children to “learn about beginning to live a more healthy life,” and offered such activities as yoga and gardening.
However, even with all these organizations and government entities offering advice, cautionary tales, recommendations, and free-to-everyone, fun-filled events, given that 55% of globally surveyed respondents say they eat whatever they want, whenever they want, all those good efforts can only go so far.
In the end, let’s face it: it all begins at home.
We’re the first line of defense, so it’s up to us to see to our children’s-and our own-nutritional needs and choices. Instead of relying on and worrying about debatable school lunch offerings, we can always put together a sandwich filled with a few slices of low-fat deli fare or spread some peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread. Toss in some carrots and an apple, and we’ve brown bagged a healthy lunch that helps keep weight gain at bay.
As for all those tempting items that are nutritionally questionable: either don’t buy them or make moderation your watchword.…

A How-To Guide For A Gleaming White Smile

More people would find they have a healthy smile if they knew more about how to take care of their teeth. If you are interested in learning how to keep your smile bright, keep reading to get some great advice. Keep reading to learn more about caring for your teeth.

Brushing your teeth properly is important for your overall mouth health. When brushing your teeth, use a vertical motion on the outside of your teeth and a horizontal motion on the inner parts of your teeth. Concentrate your efforts by brushing each tooth for approximately fifteen seconds to help ensure proper cleaning.

One of the first things people notice about you is your pearly white smile, whether you realize it or not. This is why you want to ensure that your teeth are looking their best at all times. Brushing and flossing your teeth everyday can ensure that you are flashing everyone your very best smile.

If you have anxiety about going to the dentist you are not alone. Many people fear the trip to the dentist, but there really is no reason to be nervous. All of the staff is highly trained and usually do their best to make sure you are comfortable, whether you are in for a simple cleaning or a complicated oral surgery.

If you are diagnosed with advanced gum disease, it’s time to step up your hygiene routine. At this point, flossing once, twice or even three times daily is no longer sufficient to stimulate healing. Make an appointment with a periodontist, who can prescribe a medicated mouthwash, toothpaste or prescription antibiotic. In the meantime, continue brushing and flossing frequently to keep things from becoming worse.

Consider purchasing an electric toothbrush or electric flosser. These kinds of dental equipment are often better at removing debris from your teeth and gums because they use vibrations to help dislodge food particles and other things from your teeth. Electric flossers are particularly helpful because they are often easier to get between your teeth than a standard flosser.

Using mouthwash on a daily basis is a great way to maintain a healthy mouth. Mouthwash will help pervent periodontal disease. It kills bacteria in your mouth and improves your overall mouth health. Another benefit to using mouthwash is that it will keep your breath fresh. Even if you have a beautiful smile, having bad breath will reduce your smiles’ positive impact.

Invest in one of those small hand-held mirrors like your dentist uses in his office. It can help you to spot plaque and tarter build-up in places not accessible to the naked eye and can assist you when you’ve got something stuck in between teeth. You can also use it to inspect your mouth for anomalies that may indicate underlying health issues.

For a healthy mouth and beautiful teeth, you have to have a diet that will help you achieve this goal. You want to avoid sugar and sugary drinks. Carbonated beverages and sugar can reek havoc on your teeth. To keep teeth looking more white, do reduce your consumption of it or stop altogether. Coffee will stain your teeth.

Having good dental care begins with knowing how to practice good dental hygiene. You’ll have healthy looking teeth as long as you keep these tips in mind. Your dental health is too important to neglect it.…