G'Day! - i found the data on heat, and it seems the matterial is less important than the colour. i know martins really prefer their houses white, but will use other colours too. (Maybe i can get away with a thin wash of green-brown (acrylic?) paint? Just so they're not so obnoxious a glaring white.) - Most songbirds can access a house with no persh just fine; they alight on the rim of the hole. "Robber birds," such as crows, are more likely to raid if there is a perch. - Drainage holes at the bottom. Yes indeed. Ventilation holes at the top, on the other hand, may do more harm than good IF they might let rain drip in. Very bad. But from what i'm reading in birdhouse building instructions, overheating doesn't seem to be a problem. - Still looking for a good list of "who prefers what size openings." i can't wait to see soem bug-eating birds using these gourds and faux-gourds! - Happy gardening, -vlad

I dont know...... Colostrum, the first milk produced, contains all sorts of 'stuff' to protect the offspring. (a good reason for breast feeding) but as time goes on, these natural 'additives' are decreased. Powdered milk is produced by an evaporation process which could destroy the fungicidal fraction. Perhaps a baby-formula type of milk powder might be more effective..... But it has been a long time since I took care of the calves.

FOAS, the black vinegar that I have is not made in China - it is Japanese: Rinkosan Kurosu Uchibori, Hamamatsucho, Minatoku Tokyo, Japan. Ingredients: water, rice, salt. However, there is very little salt, as a single serving has 0mg Sodium. It does taste like vinegar, but not at all like European vinegar. Here's the info on the soy sauces that I currently have: As it turns out, I have five bottles of soy sauces in addition to two bottles of ponzu sauce. Four of the soy sauces are Japanese, and one is Pearl River Bridge light soy sauce from China. The Chinese soy sauce has the harshest flavor and is also the saltiest. Here are the ones from Japan: Marudaizu Shoyu, brewed by Yamasa Corporation, Choshi, Chiba JAPAN  large bottle (and was probably fairly inexpensive), ingredients: Water, Soybeans, Wheat, and Sea salt  No preservative added, 1000ml (34 fl oz.). Good mellow flavor, not too salty www.yamasa.com "Marushima" (Shodoshima Shoyu), ingredients: Water, Soybean, Wheat, Salt, distributed by Mitsuwa, Torrance, CA. Very similar flavor to the above, but slightly mellower and a bit less salty. Net wt. 12.70 oz, 360 gr. Seasoned Soy Sauce (Katsuo Shoyu  Maruten Br.) Ingredients: Soy Sauce (Water, Soybeans, Wheat, Salt), sugar, glucose, sweet rice wine, salt, dried shaved bonito, kelp extract, alcohol, monosodium glutamate. This one has a similar flavor to the others, but with a hint of Japanese beer and a bit of sweetness. All of these (above) have mainly Japanese labels with small labels in English pasted on. Shirakiku brand salTless shoyu, distributed by Nishimoto Trading Co, product of Japan. Ingredients: water, soybeans, wheat, alcohol to preserve freshness. This one tastes mostly like Japanese beer, but with a stronger malt flavor. There is also a soy flavor, but different from other soy sauces. I also have some Mitsukan Ajipon Ponzu citrus seasoned soy sauce, product of U.S.A., and one of my least favorites. Ingredients: Soy Sauce (water, wheat, soybeans and salt), water, distilled vinegar, lemon juice, high fructose corn syrup, salt, monosodium glutamate, citric acid, natural orange flavor, succinic acid, sodium benzoate (as preservative), disodium inosinate and disodium guanylate. Mizkan Americas, Mt. Prospect, Il. I have some Kikkoman Ponzu sauce, and it is even worse than the Miskan, but fairly similar in taste and ingredients. The winner of these is the Marudaizu Shoyu, for price and flavor. Lars

Most people who are lactose intolerant can consume and breakdown some lactose, just not a lot, and not frequently - it depends on your age and degree of lactose intolerance. Another point to consider, the higher the fat content there is in a dairy product, the less lactose there is. That's why some people do fine with small amounts of butter, or butter used to make cookies, or whipping cream, half-and-half, and even whole milk, but not so well with low-fat milk. Fermentation also reduces the lactose, which is one of the reasons why I make kefir from real kefir grains. Kefir is easier to make than yogurt, and MUCH better for us. The liquid form of homemade kefir I use for buttermilk, and I drain the curd to use as a substitute for plain yogurt, cream cheese, or sour cream. All are then low-lactose because the fermentation has already broken down the lactose in the milk. Any remaining lactose is readily digested because it has been broken down by fermentation. Our son and granddaughter are lactose intolerant so I've dealt with this for nearly 3 decades. They can use a low-lactose, whey-based milk substitute called Morning Moo's (available from http://www.augasonfarms.com/. This product tastes very much like regular milk. I use this product instead of regular milk, and have used this particular brand for about 15-years, and whey-based milk substitutes since 1981. Our son's physician suggested using "Meadow Fresh", another whey-based milk substitute, when he was a small child, and we've used it since. There is another whey-based milk substitute - 1st and Best Whey Milk - http://www.wheymilkusa.com/ and it is reduced lactose - even more than Morning Moo's. It's flavor is a little sweeter, and has a slight vanilla flavor, but it works great for cooking, baking, and general use. For drinking, hubby likes to mix half and half chocolate flavor and regular flavor. I make all my homemade mixes that call for powdered milk with one of these two brands of whey-based milk substitute, including pudding mixes. The whey actually has a shortening-like effect, so I can also reduce the fat in many recipes that call for milk powder or liquid milk using a whey-based milk substitute. I'd also suggest making your own nut milks, oatmeal milk and rice milk. They are great substitutes. Almond milk is a fairly good source of calcium, and I like to make it once a week or so, just because I like the taste. I make my own and avoid the additional ingredients found in store-bought. But for drinking and cooking/baking, making ice cream, I use a low-lactose whey-based milk substitute. -Grainlady