Montana

[karlamaria]

Praying you all stay safe! Weather is funky these days, I blame HAARP ! Any ways it's nice here today, but there is more storms coming. Been working on the yard, chickens did a number o my grass , my hedges and this morning ate my strawberries. Today we are adding a new perch for the pullets, and we are going to add a new fence so they can have some land out side there pen, but my lawn gets saved and so do my flowers. I was thrilled today as I saw men laying sod across the street and asked if they had extra could I buy it, well they went and got me sod and laid it for me and charged me a dozen eggs and 20.00 ! Got all my tomatoe plants planted strawberries planted though there all eaten up I hope they come back up. All my flowers are planted, now working on the elephant ears and other bulbs. Kids are happy ( chickens) growing and come when I call them, training them to come and to follow when I want them in there coop.
Can not wait to leave them all in there pen while I work mornings, but the pullets pick on the chicks, the elders pick on the pullets. When there loose in the yard everyone seems to go to there mutual corners lol. Got a great door opener that can not be used, I have to get up at six am and let them out of the coop ,then the pen. Winter will be so much better, water and food can go inside the coop, electric door to let them in and out and no more frozen water . The coop is all electric ! For lights, heat and I'm thrilled.

 

[herfrds]

Was doing a report to the meterologist and was told to go in our basement and stay there til the storm passed! Scared me!
Glad the twisters stayed rural and missed everyone. Was scarey listening that one was 5 miles from a town and heading right for it. Luckily it lifted before it got to the town.

Got a nice rain going right now.

 

[karlamaria]

Was doing a report to the meterologist and was told to go in our basement and stay there til the storm passed! Scared me!
Glad the twisters stayed rural and missed everyone. Was scarey listening that one was 5 miles from a town and heading right for it. Luckily it lifted before it got to the town.

Got a nice rain going right now.

God is amazing, he is always there amist the storms !
Im so glad you are ok, !!!

 

[Azriel]

Well, another cold, windy, rainy weekend. I'm not looking forward to it getting hot, but 70's would be nice. I don't think it got much over 50 today. I did get to take my dog for a nice long walk and we almost made it home before it started raining. At least I was smart enough to have a jacket with this time.
My garden is comming along pretty good this year, potatoes look great, corn is OK, squash, cucumbers and tomatos also look good, now I just hope we don't get any big hail, got some small stuff the other day, but no damage. I'm only useing half the garden this year, so I need to put a temp. fence up and let the chickens in the other half. They do a great job at turning the compost and eating the weeds and grasshoppers.

 

[dwolfwmn]

Good Morning!

We live just east of Billings and are just finishing up the outside of our Chicken Shack and are ready to start finishing the inside. I have some questions and figure the answers I get in the Montana Forum will be more beneficial then say someone raising chickens in Texas. I have got lots of good information from this site, but can't always tell where it is coming from, so not sure if it would work in our temps & climate.

Our Chicken Shack is 8x12, with the Ladies actually having 8x8, storage will be 4x8, they will have an outside run, also. We are insulating the walls & ceiling.

I am wondering if Deep Litter Method is the way to go. I would like to use DLM, our Shack does have plenty of ventalation options, as that seems a must with DLM. Does anyone in Central or South Central Montana use DLM? What is your opinion and the Pro's & Con's?

Also, where do you buy your Diatomaceous Earth for the DLM? So far all my chick suplies have come from Shiptons or Tractor Supply in Billings. TSC has a small container of DE that all the label has is instructions for adding it to feed & water.

One last question. If you use DLM do you also have a poop board under the roosts?

Thank You for your help & experiences!!

Debbie

 

[karlamaria]

Well, another cold, windy, rainy weekend. I'm not looking forward to it getting hot, but 70's would be nice. I don't think it got much over 50 today. I did get to take my dog for a nice long walk and we almost made it home before it started raining. At least I was smart enough to have a jacket with this time.
My garden is comming along pretty good this year, potatoes look great, corn is OK, squash, cucumbers and tomatos also look good, now I just hope we don't get any big hail, got some small stuff the other day, but no damage. I'm only useing half the garden this year, so I need to put a temp. fence up and let the chickens in the other half. They do a great job at turning the compost and eating the weeds and grasshoppers.

this Montana cold and rain, snow and bleak weather is making me sick ! It's time to warm up. My plants are still on my porch!

 

[karlamaria]

Good Morning!

We live just east of Billings and are just finishing up the outside of our Chicken Shack and are ready to start finishing the inside.  I have some questions and figure the answers I get in the Montana Forum will be more beneficial then say someone raising chickens in Texas.  I have got lots of good information from this site, but can't always tell where it is coming from, so not sure if it would work in our temps & climate.

Our Chicken Shack is 8x12, with the Ladies actually having 8x8, storage will be 4x8, they will have an outside run, also.  We are insulating the walls & ceiling.

I am wondering if Deep Litter Method is the way to go.  I would like to use DLM, our Shack does have plenty of ventalation options, as that seems a must with DLM.  Does anyone in Central or South Central Montana use DLM?  What is your opinion and the Pro's & Con's?

Also, where do you buy your Diatomaceous Earth for the DLM?  So far all my chick suplies have come from Shiptons or Tractor Supply in Billings.  TSC has a small container of DE that all the label has is instructions for adding it to feed & water.

One last question.  If you use DLM do you also have a poop board under the roosts?

Thank You for your help & experiences!!

Debbie

I would do the deep litter method but can not get past a dirty coop. We clean it every other week rain snow what ever. The second week we add more litter, and on the weekend we clean it all out. I use poop boards and put litter on them to make it easier to clean off when we clean the coop. Diatomaceous is added to the litter and I get mine off amazon.com.
My coop is very well insulated, my chickens did well this winter ad with no frozen combs etc. I think ( my opinion) there is to much moisture with deep litter methods so I stay clear. When we clean our coop I lay a deep layer down.

 

[dwolfwmn]

Quote:
Thank you for the info....it does give me something to think about. I had not thought about the moisture part of it, so that is good to know.

 

[Azriel]

I use the DLM, but my coop is large with lots of ventalation. The coop is 14x24, the main pen is 12x12, and I have 2 7x8 breeding pens. I throw some scratch in the litter daily and the chickens keep it well turned, I have never had a problem with moisture or odor. I use a mix of shavings, shredded paper, and straw, and just add more of one or all as needed. I did just get some DE from TSC and added some to the litter, but didn't see that it made any difference. I do like to use the DE in their dusting area. My coop is not insulated, and I do not add heat in the winter. I do have heated waterers for each pen. I have a covered run area for each pen and the chickens are able to go out year round, and they do what I call modified free range all summer in 1/4 acre fenced pens.

 

[karlamaria]

now thats a big coop girl!!

mine is around 10x6 insulated up to the hilt, 3 windows that open, a ceiling vent and an electric door opener. We have electricity to it now and water. we plan on adding light to the coop this winter , and heat when the girls molt. its cold here in montana, my girls have the best. pen is 12x 17 now. covered and we add plastic or tarp to cover it in the winter ( plastic this year so they can see out better. Free range on my lawn all day and evening LOL, kids pick up the poo daily. we have nine chickens, will end up with 6 as 3 are roosters. ( pretty sure on the 6 week old.