access to food/water at night?

[lisamarie]

hi all,

i just put our 7 week old chicks out in the coop and i am wondering if they still need access to food and water at night? I want to keep them in the roost part of the coop so they will stay warm, but their food is out in main coop.

thanks!
lisa

 

[Linda in San Diego]

Great question, I will look for the answer too... Thanks

 

[CarriBrown]

Our food and water is outside in the run and there isn't any food or water in the coop. I suppose, if they wanted to, they could go out and eat/drink, but they don't.
I think they will be fine.

 

[ibpboo]

Usually once it gets dark, chickens stay put, so they probably will be fine with the food and water in the run part of coop. I had put mine out earlier than 7 weeks and they were fine.

Welcome!

 

[countryboy]

I keep food an water with them at night and don't think they touch it till the morning.
however other members have said their chickens do eat and drink at night.
I think its up to the individuals observations on whether to have it in the coop, it certainly wont hurt anything.

 

[d.k]

* It's hot here, so sometimes my hen will wake up at night wanting water. Other times if she is disturbed by people talking or a bug or whatever, she gets up, eats a little and putters around a few minutes before going back to bed. Mostly she stays on the roost, but I always keep water and a very minimum of food out for her just in case.

 

[ZooMummzy]

I keep food and water in the coop at night too but I don't think they even touch it. I'm just a worry wart and over protective chicken mom

 

[Cetawin]

I keep food and water handy for them at 10 weeks old...they still get up and eat/drink at night.

I do not think it would hurt them if they did not, but I want them to have water available with the warmer weather.

 

[jeaucamom]

I keep food and water in the coop because I know they pick a little at night which I don't think it would hurt them to do without, but they wake up WAY earlier than I do and start eating immediately. We wake up at 7 and go straight out to let the girls out, and they have already plowed through a lot of feed by that time. I am afraid they would start picking if they didn't have food to eat after not eating all night long. So far, praise the Lord, we have never had a picking problem.

 

[chicknhawaii]

I keep Chick-Chick's (she's almost 7 weeks old) water with her 24/7 b/c it is so warm here.

I ration her food so no food overnight.