Food-in the coop or in the run/pen?

You shouldn't leave feed out at night'; chickens don't eat at night so there is no reason. With a good plan for rodent control you'll be fine. Most new chicken owners don't even think about rodents. Once you've owned them for awhile you've either devised a plan or are over run with them. It's a hard lessen if your coop is near your home. I use chunx bait in tamper proof boxes.

That said it's a personal choice as much as practicality of coop space if you keep feed and water there or in the run. My management style is small coops with protected area outside during winters. With small coops especially and being in an area where temps hit -30F we don't keep water in the coop. Added moisture in housing in winter isn't helpful. I want the birds out everyday and keeping feed out motivates them to leave the coop on brutal days. A few days a year i'll toss sunflower seed in the coop and place some water to hold them over until temps get up to -10 F and they are willing to out.
 
When I moved mine out I put food and water in the coop to keep it out of the weather and help the transition as they were nervous about the run, after 2wks or so I enclosed under my coop moved there food under and bought a 3 gallon water gravity drinker and leave it in there run. They free range in our back yard during the day so I have a couple smaller water containers around the yard for them.
 
mine are still in brooding box. their 5 weeks old and i think ill be putting them in the coop in about a week to 2 weeks. Anyway, should i have 1 feeder in the run and 1 in the coop, or just 1 in the coop.

thx :p
tom
 
thx
frow.gif
 
AGREE with Egg_headJr - Once I move mine into their "adult" Run/Coop which is out back, they get fed at 7am & remain in the Run/Coop until about noon. They then grub around the backyard (fenced), get fed (FF) at around 3pm & I don't leave feed out as they don't eat at night. When they're in the "brooder" they get fed 3x day...





 
We have a good size protected pen attached to the coop. I am nervous about trying to let them free range. They are starting to try and come out when we open and close the pen door. They seem very anxious to see if the grass is greener on the other side :eek:)

We have plenty of space for them to free range but-we have allot of hawks here.

I do not think they would be protected.?
 

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