Montana

[Chicken Woman]

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It also gets very cold here in Billings. I have had my girls for 3 winters and I do not heat the coop.
Lots of coops burn down from heat lamps if you read some of the articles here in BYC.
I feed a small amount of corn in late afternoon which helps them make body heat digesting it during the night.

I do have a 40 watt light that is on a timer so that they are getting 14 hrs of light which helps
increase egg production in the winter. The biggest issue with the cold is that they don't have a drafty coop !
I also put vaseline on wattles etc about once a week to keep water and moisture from freezing and causing frost bite.


My girls are just coming out of a molt and are starting to lay again.
I use Miss Prissy's recipe for homemade yogurt to increase protien. It is very cheap to make and makes a big batch at one time.

Hope this helps. Just some things that I do.

 

[cackleberrycoop]

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I just read about putting pepper in olive oil and rubbing that on the combs and wattles. The idea is that the pepper brings blood to the skin to keep it warm and the oil coats it in a protective layer. I think I may try this this winter on some of the boys and vaseline on others and see if there is any difference.

 

[Montana_Gal]

Hi all~

I am in Kalispell and am starting to look for chicks. Wrong time I know but I hope to have all my research done and know what the plan is when it is time.

I built my coop this fall, as to be ready in the spring. I am really interested in Dominiques but I am not seeing any 'local' sourses and hatchery need orders of 25 ( I want to have 6 layers and a Roo but planned on getting a 12 pack as to have culling and mortality options).

Any hatchery recommendations? general info, etc?

Lori

 

[western edge]

Find someone locally to go in on an order of the minimum which is 25 from most places. Your half way there with your 12. Most places will let you mix your order so you can order 12 Doms and 13 of another I got my Doms from Bob and Diane Berry aka bobsbiddies on this site I do believe. He sexes them so you can order what you want and he can ship day olds from out there in Ray City Ga. I ordered 25- 23 pullets and 2 cockerels and got 21 pullets and 4 cockerels- not bad. All arrived healthy and I didnt lose a bird. I have 12 pullets and 2 cockerels left for a breeding/hatching project I am undertaking. Also got 5 Doms along with some other breeds from Privitt Hatchery in NM. Not the quality color as bobsbiddies but nice doms never the less. So I my have chicks available in the spring but being Im not cetified, I cant ship out of state, so I will have to start with the local market.

 

[bantiebabe1200]

Hello from Ennis, I'm about an hour (50 miles) south of Bozeman.

Raised chickens when I was a kid and was deeply into 4-H. Now I'm grown up and married for about a year now and I've talked my husband into getting chickens.

I won't be able to get a coop built until fall of next year or summer of 2012, wich makes me even more obsessed with the anticipation

. I've decided that I'll become a breeder and exhibitor of my all time favorite buff Brahma bantams. I'll be joining the Montana Poultry Fanciers this coming Jan, in hope of meeting some new ppl with chickens and breeding experience and have been amazed at all the ppl on the BYC forum from MT as well! I'm so excited to be a part of the chicken world once more!

 

[BlueBirdChick]

Hiya again from Absarokee. How is everyone doing? Good I hope. Not sure if it would be too much trouble or a hassle but is anyone interested in a Montana egg swap????

 

[SkyWarrior]

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I'd be up for it.
Maggie

 

[montanasandy]

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I'd be up for it.
Maggie

Please explain. I don't know what an egg swap is!

 

[SkyWarrior]

Quote:
I'd be up for it.
Maggie

Please explain. I don't know what an egg swap is!

It's kind of a hatching egg thingy via mail. We pick names and each person sends the other person X fertile eggs and we all hatch our eggs. Requires an incubator or a broody hen. And of course, chickens with a rooster. I've never participated in one, but I think that's how it's done.

 

[chicken farmer meigs]

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That sounds kind of fun. Iam always looking for ways of getting baby chicks.