Montana

[Bantambird]

Kalispell always gets snow

That's where my grandparents live!

 

[mobius]

Oh boy do we, but usually it is a bit more manageable...let me know when you visit your grandparents if you like...

It has been this routine: Below zero temps for four-five days, then it warms up to about 15-25F for four to five days, but then it dumps snow everyday when it warms up. So I had thought great, it is warming up, I can get some things done. The snow has been so heavy that it then makes the roads awful. Rock and a hard place this winter. Usually get maybe 1-2 weeks in a row of below zero (not even that in past 2-3 years) and then a steady winter holding pattern at about 30F every day from there on. Not this winter. one of my friends says it reminds him of what the weather was like when he was growing up...50 years ago lol. Hope your grandparents are holding out okay!

Some kind of winter warning from weather service every DAY!

My propane nearly ran out yesterday it has been so bad! Never gotten that close before in 18 years. Nice propane company filled it this morning after I begged, so crisis averted!

 

[Bantambird]

I live just outside Billings, and it has been mighty cold here, with record snowfall for this area. Usually the Western half gets all the big snow! And hardly a Chinook blowing at all! It hasn't been above freezing since the beginning of December! Perhaps once the passes melt and the kids are out of school, I might swing a trip west. To visit grandparents!

 

[mobius]

I have a dear friend in Billings, and she says the same...snowfall was incredible. I lived in Billings for five years back in the nineties. I remember snow, but not like she and you are describing. It would snow for an inch or two and then blow away...but colder than here for sure.

 

[BigSkyBird]

Hello from Helena! I am new to BYC and to chickens and planning on starting my flock this spring. All this snow has led me to decide to have at least part of the run covered.

I'm planning for the coop to be 8' x 10'. The run area (excluding the coop) will be around 144 square feet. I'm currently planning to cover 84 square feet and leave 60 feet uncovered, so the chooks can be in the sun if they like.

I'm planning on being able to divide the inside of the coop for flexibility, so chicks could be on one side and big girls on the other, or so an injured bird could be safe but see the rest of the flock. The uncovered run would be accessed from the smaller side of the coop. Any thoughts/advice as to whether to cover the whole run or not? Thanks.

 

[Bantambird]

This sounds good to me, my chickens don't care for the snow but love the sun. When I have plotted in the past, I try to make sure to have plenty of southern exposure, with a decent overhang so that in the winter they get sun because of the angle of the sun, while in the summer when it goes right overhead, the overhang keeps the sun off the siding and helps with keeping it cooler then. It sounds like you have some good ideas!

 

[mobius]

Hi

, glad you found us. One of the best things I did was cover the whole run. You won't regret it. If they cannot be let out to free range even in the yard in bad weather, it gives them so much more room. Warmer and drier.




Covered in snow atm! Small dog wants in!

Course this much smaller and works for my six well, but consider covering it...just saying, if you can, they will get sun (they LOVE it) anyway, as you can see fro above.

 

[BigSkyBird]

Thanks for the tips! Cute coop and run, @mobius!

Thinking I'll cover the whole run. It will be a shed roof opening to the south, around 5' high at the low end and 9' at the high end. Do you all recommend metal or translucent fiberglass (or some other material) for roof material over the run? Roof on the coop will be metal.

 

[mobius]

Lol! well if it were all up to me I like the corrugated fiberglass for over the run, more light I think it makes them happier to have that sun but maybe more expensive also. My coop and run is a bit over-built, YMMV.

 

[Blueyes132]

We have abt 10 feet of snow. Our chickens finally came out of the coop for some sunshine when it was abt 45 out Wednesday. Oh how I wish it was nicer outside