Moving/Immigrating to Montana (Billings, Missoula: fit in, co-op, new house)

[cumminszhere]

You read my post correctly Elk.

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

I may be wrong, but I took it as a joke, as in, a petting zoo of unpredictable animals in New York to take care of the tourist problems and DC to thin out the Politicians. Both, of which, are a problem in Montana.

The tourists come to Montana and want to see the "pretty wolves" and the Politicians, who have never even seen a wolf in real life, think they can regulate the better than the state where the wolves are a problem. Give them a petting zoo.

[countryboy73]

Originally Posted by NiinaP

As far I have understanded why my husband wants to move in US is due the srtict laws concerning hunting, gun ownership etc here. First I understood, that he truly wanted to immigrate, later he expained, that he didn't want to leave Finland permanently, but to live in US atleast part of the year or a whole year. What comes to immigration after I found out about the part-time plan, is that if foreigner, you apparently can't have a gun? So hunting would be dependent on the "safaris" and costing 10 000 $, without a quarantee you'll even see the animal you are hunting... On long term, it would be more affordable to own your own plot of land for living and have the residents hunting rights along with the cheaper tag price.
What comes to the studying, we have an entrance examination + extra points given according to your score on the matriculation examination. Half of the yearly 50 places in Oulu university will go to those whose score is highest, when counting the entrance examinations and matriculation examinations points together. The 25 left are handed out to those, whose entrance exam points are higher than the minimum one can get through in the first category.
I haven't finished the matriculation examination due my panic disorder (wrote only english since it was the easiest for me) so I'm automatically falling to the latter category. There were 686 people who had the exam in spring and 50 only 50 can get in... My chances are quite poor, especially since I graduated the high scool equivalent here over 6 years ago.

NiinaP, forget the hoops. Fly to Mexico and wait until dark, then wade across the Rio Grande River like everyone else. Then all you have to do is avoid the INS until the pukes in DC decide to grant amnesty to everyone already here, and voila! you are a citizen. Ask some folks in the Mexico forum, they will know how it works. (This post is totally tongue-in-cheek, and I will not be held responsible for any misguided actions resulting from this satirical masterpiece.)

[NiinaP]

Nah, studying and illegal immigration don't fit together

[NiinaP]

Where can I find information regarding building regulations for houses and animal shelters? And where would one find a agricultural market in Montana? Where you could buy i.e grains for horses to eat, stable accessories and such stuff? Link to their website (if any) would be nice, especially if they have some price charts/online shop available.
And the link to animal welfare laws/regulations would be nice too, since those limit the properties we could buy.

[Reziac]

So far MT hasn't been invaded too much by the animal rights loons (who masquerade as "animal welfare advocates"). Basically you have to provide normal feed and care. Limits on animal types and numbers come with zoning and covenants, which are strictly local, not state. Most rural subdivisions prohibit livestock other than maybe a few horses.

There are feed and tack stores all over the place (every wide spot in the road has a feed store), and hay producers (you can count on needing to buy hay in winter, unless you have a really productive spread). You can even buy horse feed at Walmart. Right now hay is around $150/ton (tho it's 1/3rd that if you can haul it from North Dakota) and any kind of feed grain is about $10-$15/50 pounds in bags, or you can buy it by the "tote" (500 to 1500 pounds depending on what it is) from some feed mills at bulk prices. Screenings (basically mill waste, weed seeds, oat chaff and the like, suitable for pig and goat feed) are about $100/ton and it goes up from there. Last I checked feed barley was $200/ton and corn around $400/ton. Grain prices fluctuate somewhat, but like everything else it keeps going up.

I just got a bunch of really nice barley straw for $3/bale, which seems to be about the best you can do for dry clean straw. Last year's stuff that's been wet can be had for $1/bale but is no good for bedding, tho the pigs like to eat it.

(Has anyone fed screenings as a horse supplement? the horses love the stuff and break into the container every chance they get.)

[NiinaP]

Oh it's so cheap there! Whether the tonne is metric or not, it's still cheaper than here. (our hay price is about 270$/1000kg and just the producer price for oat was about 350$/1000kg)

What kind of bedding is used for horses there? The most common in here are wood shavings and peat.

Oh and before I forget... In some plot's of land there are electricity and even a phone line, but not water? I'm not certain whether it means that there aren't water pipes to the property or what... And if there isn't, what kind of regulations and such are needed for a well?

[historyfan]

It would be unusual for a farmstead to developed from raw land at this point in time. Placeproperly cared forout water wells might not have potable water at a cost effective depth to drill a well.

Montana is an agricultural state. It has the right to farm law. If livestock animals are not fed or not properly cared for, or abused, the county sheriff and livestock authorities will step in. People in agricultural industry have little patience for those that do not care for their animals. This is common sense care; adequate water, feed, animals in good physical condition.

The Montana code is all of the current state laws. You can read it at this website.
Table of Contents, TITLE 1, MCA

States each have laws that cover matters not coveted by Federal law. County regulations cover matters not defined by state law or regulation.

[NiinaP]

I searched the site, historyfan, but couldn't find the answer I was looking for. So the question goes: If I build a stable or a shelter for my horses, does it have to have a concrete flooring? Is there a requirement for minimum height of the building or size of the box stall? Are there requirements considering air conditioning, does it have to be warm (above freezing) during winter? Any lighting requirements?

[MTSilvertip]

Originally Posted by NiinaP

I searched the site, historyfan, but couldn't find the answer I was looking for. So the question goes: If I build a stable or a shelter for my horses, does it have to have a concrete flooring? Not unless you want to put it in. Even most fairgrounds usually have dirt floors, sometimes gravel.

Is there a requirement for minimum height of the building or size of the box stall? Tall enough for the horse to get in at least, I don't know of any minimum sizes for box stalls, however there are recommended guidelines.

Are there requirements considering air conditioning, No
does it have to be warm (above freezing) during winter? No

Any lighting requirements? Depends on how well you want to see in there after sundown

This is the link to the Montana Department of Livestock, Search page :: Montana Department of Agriculture

They would be able to answer your questions, but honestly, lots of folks just have a 3 sided loafing shed with a roof for shelter, some just have windbreaks. We don't have the same kind of regulations you do.
There are ranches here where the horses basically run wild in the pasture during the winter and all they get is some hay thrown out. The only shelter is in cuts, draws or timber.

This is a very different place from what you are used to, so far anyway.

[NiinaP]

Originally Posted by MTSilvertip

This is a very different place from what you are used to, so far anyway.

And that is the reason we want to move out of here. Too many regulations in here, that only make life harder. Not to mention how expensive it is in here... (ie. one gallon of 95 octane gas costs 8 dollars or more...)

The reason why I'm trying to find out these things is to calculate costs. Even though the moving issue isn't going to be reality in at least 1-1,5 years, I have need to plan ahead, so every aspect is studied, calculated, compared and so on, so that if/when we do move, the plan is clear and all that is needed is to put the gears in motion.