Sign up for our free Backyard Birding seminar this Saturday.
Hello, again!
During our younger years, the Johnson boys, like many boys at the time, wanted to be cowboys. By the time I was a sophomore at North High, I had saved up enough money and I bought Tom, a one-eyed horse that you could put a 5-year-old child on and it was ok. Tom taught me everything I needed to know to ride! Making a trip to Sheplers with my good friend Bill Wright, I bought a used saddle, cowboy boots and a Stetson hat, and I was good to go. I was a cowboy!
My brother Wes ended up buying Prince, and my brother Linden had Golden Boy. We had great times going to Western Fun Shows up at Bit and Spur Arena north of town. Our horses were kept at the ‘horse lot’ near 13th and 235. There were great places to ride on the surrounding dirt roads, and back then it was easy access to the Big Ditch for adventures.
Ray and Lucille Chapman owned the horse lot. It was of sorts Ray’s ‘man cave’ - his getaway place. For $10 a month Ray would feed the horses grain and hay, keep the grounds mowed and tend to the place. With a gas powered pump to fill the water tank, Ray always made sure the horses were well taken care of, especially during winter. He was adamant about keeping fresh water for the horses during the winter months. He said horses drank more in the winter than in the summer, and he said it prevented colic. Ray had kerosene smudge pots under the water tanks, where they were protected from the elements and kept the water from freezing during cold spells.
Likewise, our feathered friends also need fresh water during the winter months. With natural water supplies frozen much of the winter, birds need plenty of supplemental water. Birds burn more calories in winter looking for food and melting ice to drink. Backyards that provide fresh water during winter tend to host more birds than those that do not.
Ray Chapman could have used one of our Water De-Icers. With its multiple thermostats and low-profile design, it produces the same heat output as traditional de-icers without overheating - it's only on when needed. It keeps up to 30 gallons de-iced.
My favorite food to provide birds is our Shell-less Select Wild Bird Food. It's high in fat content, which is great for wild birds, especially during the winter months. It contains no shells, so there's no mess, no waste, and no seed germination. It contains hulled sunflower hearts, millet, peanuts and pistachio. It can be used in all types of feeders, attracting all your songbirds (goldfinches, nuthatches, chickadees, juncos, house finches, cardinals and more).
For use in tube, hopper or platform bird feeders. We also have specific seed blends such as Feathered Friend Cardinals' Choice Wild Bird Food, which is a premium mix of cardinal favorites like black oil sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts and safflower seed.
Feathered Friend Finch Delight is a special blend of smaller seeds to attract goldfinches, purple finches and house finches. It contains sunflower hearts, canary seed and Nyjer seed.
C&S Suet Treats are great for providing a high fat food for birds, which is especially important in the winter. Something new from C&S is Suet NUGGETS™ bird feeding formulations in resealable bags designed for suet, fruit and insect eating wild birds. If you are a serious birder, or even a beginner, you'll appreciate this ready-to-feed wild bird food with a high energy suet base, which means both no waste and no mess.
Just arrived from Garden & Fun, we have Suet Balls, a high-energy bird food. These fat and protein balls will allow birds to survive winter in a safe way, with the essential calories they need for daily activity.
If you do not have a garden or a place to put a bird feeder, we have Garden & Fun Seed Sticks, ingredients of which correspond with bulk bird mixes. These seed coated sticks on a string are perfect for fixing to tree branches or other places that are safe for birds.
Sign up here for our Backyard Birding seminar this Saturday, January 25 at 11AM at both stores. Attend and get a free sample of our Shell-less Select Wild Bird Food and a coupon to use in our birding department.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Your friend in the garden,
Marty Johnson
Owner - Johnson's Garden Centers
