Montana

[Bantambird]

Where I am near Billings I have enough sagebrush, chokecherries, currants, and other shrubberies that there are hiding places around the yard. There are few mature trees for Hawks to perch on to scope out yard, and one coop is on stilts making it easy to scoot under when the alarm call goes up. As for geese, we had them as a kid, they didn't seem to have any issue with Montana weather, but my husband won't allow geese because POOP! Waterfowl make big poop messes.

 

[Adalida]

Any other Montana folk out there that wants to add in on information about raising & keeping waterfowl in Montana. Our climate is a little more unique & much harsher winters.

How do you keep your ducks & geese cozy all winter?

Also, how you landscape your pen & yard.

Any predator advice?

Hawks are probably one of our main concers?

Any input helps! Let's bring this thread back to life!

My ducks did great this past winter and we had several stretches where the temp got into the negative 20s/30s at night and only warmed up to single digits during the day. They had a nice snug house with a deep bed of straw which they slept in at night but during the day they were out and about.

They realized that they could get onto the porch by climbing the big pile of snow...There's three steps up to the porch so usually they don't go up there, so this was a fun discovery for them! And a messy one for my porch!

 

[dawnmt70]

Thank you! I didn't even think of ticks! They don't seem to heavy where I am, but I will be sure to check! Are there any other plants, bushes, trees, grass, ect. you would recommend putting in their run & around our yard?

Like Breinflannel said Herbs make birds happy. I'm guessing anything we could grow and eat would make them happy. Once my raspberry bushes fill in and spread I'll be adding those too. I do wish we had a longer growing season so we could have a larger variety!

 

[MTchicklady]

Hello! I'm in SE MT, little place called Ekalaka. We've had 5 layers in our mixed flock but recently lost them all to a raccoon. Our current crop of chicks includes a mix of layers and meat chicks at 4 weeks of age.

 

[Bantambird]

Raccoons are the worst! I've lost almost as many to them as people's bored loose dogs! And they kill for sport too... Hate all muskelids! (Coons, skunks, weasels, ferrets, mink, ect, they all love chicken dinner)

 

[FishingMT]

My ducks did great this past winter and we had several stretches where the temp got into the negative 20s/30s at night and only warmed up to single digits during the day. They had a nice snug house with a deep bed of straw which they slept in at night but during the day they were out and about.

They realized that they could get onto the porch by climbing the big pile of snow...There's three steps up to the porch so usually they don't go up there, so this was a fun discovery for them! And a messy one for my porch!

They are so adorable!! They don't seem to mind the cold to much, do they? That eases my mind! We had a brutal stretch of below, wasn't that miserable? It was long weeks haha. Thank you for replying!

 

[FishingMT]

Raccoons are the worst! I've lost almost as many to them as people's bored loose dogs! And they kill for sport too... Hate all muskelids! (Coons, skunks, weasels, ferrets, mink, ect, they all love chicken dinner)

I'm sorry to hear of your loss! Where I am, I've never seen a racoon. We are located by large open fields & in the distance there are a lot of willows. Guess I'm lucky there isn't really a habitat for racoon around here.

 

[FishingMT]

What about Magpies? Not the ducks, but the loud black & white birds that are always around, stealing dog food. Do they seem to bother ducks & geese at all? We have very few crows that stop by time to time. Do I need to be concerned about magpies & crows?

 

[Bantambird]

Skunks are everywhere, even if you don't see them, but they won't climb. They dig.

 

[mobius]

Hello! I'm in SE MT, little place called Ekalaka. We've had 5 layers in our mixed flock but recently lost them all to a raccoon. Our current crop of chicks includes a mix of layers and meat chicks at 4 weeks of age.

Sorry to hear of your loss. we are full of predators aren't we?