Montana

[Bantambird]

grass range isn't too far from my folk's place off Flatwillow creek over in petroleum county.not many people left up your way! definitely a hard winter this year in that part of the state. calving was especially tough this year with the February/March snowstorms. Good luck offloading! I will tell a few friends.

 

[MTchicknman]

grass range isn't too far from my folk's place off Flatwillow creek over in petroleum county.not many people left up your way! definitely a hard winter this year in that part of the state. calving was especially tough this year with the February/March snowstorms. Good luck offloading! I will tell a few friends.

Thanks, I'm going to use CraigsList as soon as my wife can take some pix.

 

[Miss Carcajou]

Checking in from outside of Yellowstone National Park!

 

[riorider]

Checking in from Missoula!

 

[Foxslayer16]

Checking in from the bitterroot

 

[Bantambird]

Hi!

 

[TheFluffyButtHut]

Hello
Havre Here!

 

[wamtazlady]

Hi. From Kalispell. Been a long time since anyone wrote on this. I've been planning new things for this winter. Want to get the run covered with something other than tarps. Thinking about a roof made with that fiberglass wiggle stuff. Nephew will be moving in with me in October and I figure he could do some work for me to pay for his room. Might replace my water tote with a slightly larger one. I'm using a 10 gallon one and thought of upping that to a 15 gallon tote. Not sure if I should as that 10 gallon tote has made it through -22 degrees and stayed thawed. Also thinking about experimenting with added light this year. Thought one of those rope lights would work with part of it inside and part of it outside the coop. Have never used extra light before but only one of my spring pullets is laying. Didn't realize Cochins can be slow developing and I really want eggs this winter. Thought if I added some light the others would eventually lay during the winter. What is everyone else doing to prepare for winter?

 

[lcwmt]

Preparing for Winter! oh my. We doubled our coop size this Summer and are now working on a second run. It, like the first, is a hoop run with hardware cloth around the bottom third, a lighter material covering the top. My hope is that the additional run space can give them more outdoors time when we have snow piled up. They free range and limited clear ground does not appeal <G>
The original run has chicken wire over the top (never again!), covered with shade cloth and greenhouse tarp. The coop is roofed with metal. The new run will have greenhouse tarp over most of it.
I'll add a second heated dog water dish for the cold months but stay away from artificial light and supplemental heat. Two months without eggs is not too bad for us and it gives the girls a natural break.

 

[wamtazlady]

I've never used light before, however, I only have one pullet out of the ones I got in March laying now. Lost my whole flock and my geese to a cougar early in the year. If I don't add light I probably won't get any more eggs until Feb. Of course it probably doesn't matter. Built the coop in the worst spot. It's next to the house. When snow slides off the roof it accumulates where the nesting boxes are located. Unless I can get someone to shovel that snow out I can't even get to the nesting boxes. Snow got to be 4 feet high at the boxes last winter. However, if the nephew stays with me all winter I could have someone who could fetch the eggs.

I have read about hoop run and thought about building one. Would still like to know how much trouble they are to set up and cover. I don't know of anyone in this area with one I could go look at. How well does the snow slide off the hoop run?