Montana

[karlamaria]

So it will be my first winter here in Laurel with the chickens and turkeys how do you guys prepare for winter. I have a converted Horse stall coop with 11 birds and 2 turkeys. 

. My coop is extra insulated, and each fall I cover my pen cpmpletly leaving only a small opening for air sp there is not snow or water that gets in. It keeps my girls totally protected from the freezing winds and harsh weather. I do not believe in not doing something to protect my girls, they feed me, the least I can do is make sure there well fed, out of extreme weather and plenty of fresh water. I had Walter make me a real nice waterer that will have water cups, it will be kept unfrozen by using heat tape and a therma cube. . I use shavings on my coop floor, I think it keeps it cleaner and less smells, it's also much better at drying the poop once it hits the shavings. Shavings are cheap. The windows of my coop are thermal paned . I figure, I get awesome eggs cause I use organic feed, why would I not are for them the best I can so I get wonderful eggs. During the winter I also sprout wheat, and give alfalfa pellets soaked in yogert .

 

[montanachicks]

Hi! Glad I found this thread

I'm in Great Falls. I grew up with hatchery chickens, but now I've got my own place and I shipped eggs from some good breeders so I could get nicer chickens. I love bantams, and they are easier for my daughters to handle. I'm hoping to show some this next year from eggs I've hatched. We'll see how they turn out. I have silver laced and millie fleur Cochin bantams, BLR Wyandotte bantams, and some quail Antwerp Belgians. We also have peafowl and a pair of call ducks. I'm loving my flock

FINALLY!!!!! Someone else besides myself from Great Falls!! Welcome 3BirdGirlz! Which end of town do you live in?

 

[3BirdGirlz]

FINALLY!!!!!   Someone else besides myself from Great Falls!!  Welcome 3BirdGirlz!       Which end of town do you live in?

I live out of town by Vaughn...in Sun Prairie on 5 acres with our little hobby farm How bout you?

 

[montanachicks]

I live out of town by Vaughn...in Sun Prairie on 5 acres with our little hobby farm

How bout you?

I live on the west side of town -- right outside city limits -- so just right down the road from you! I really am glad to see someone else from the GF area on here --- I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one from around here that used this site

 

[DuginMT]

MrsFoote, this will be my first winter with my pullets, who were born in March. My coop is not insulated, but protected from excessive drafts, and has adjustable ventilation. My birds are all supposed to be cold-hardy. I have minimal heat in there, supplied only by the 150W heated waterer base (I plugged it in tonight), a 75W red infrared bulb, and a 40W light bulb that come on with timers at night and in the early morning. Each chicken also puts out some heat. It seems that my coop always stays about 7-10 degrees warmer than ambient at night. Hoping they will be all right this winter if it doesn't get below 20 below! Had chickens on the farm growing up and none of them ever froze to death even at 40 below in an uninsulated coop. I want my birds to acclimate to the cold and have been doing what I can to help them maintain their plumage. Hope this helps! Looks like we have a little winter storm coming in, starting tonight.

 

[Mrsfoote]

Yea, I know I've been watching the weather. Today met a really nice person who just recently baled a bunch of alfalfa and grass bales sold them $5 a piece, for the big 80+lb bales so I picked up 8 of those bad boys, this was after spending more than double that at Shiptons.

. But I want my birds acclimated as well. The coop as I've said is a horse stall with a connected run, and I've piled the hay bales and loosened a few up so they can pack in and keep warm. They don't seem to like the existing roosts, nor do they like the shorter roosts that were made, so chicken pile up. I think I'm just being overly paranoid, haha. And the Turkeys seem content, and I just recently placed a hanging feeder, and they get supplemented rather than just laying crumbles as its a mixed flock so my birds are fatties. We shall see how it goes. What breeds do you have Dugin?

 

[DuginMT]

MrsFoote, I have 3 Buff Orpingtons (one is a rooster), 4 Black Australorps, 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Rhode Island Reds, and 2 Easter Eggers. They are all in their run now in the middle of the snowstorm, and the rooster just crowed, so they seem to be doing OK! Gave them some extra scratch today.

 

[Mrsfoote]

My Flock consists of 5 wyandottes, a barred rock, a gold laced polish who I swear is mentally challenged, a wellsummer, two Brahmas one buff laced( Secondary roo ), one bantam dark hen, two Olive Eggers ( One being my main roo) ,4 Belgian D'Anvers, two turkeys a Royal Palm hen and Spanish Black Jake...think that is everyone. Of course I have the intentions of going hatch crazy come spring. Both Chicks and Poults.

 

[DuginMT]

MrsFoote, you have a large and diverse flock! My boys want polish next year. They are striking!

 

[Mrsfoote]

Perhaps we could share an order? Or maybe I could hatch some and split them?