access to food/water at night?

[ronshoney]

I would feel better with mine having at least water 24/7 I think it would be okay to not have food at night though.

 

[lisamarie]

wow, thanks for all of your great responses! what a wonderful forum. I think what i may do is keep them in the roost at night for a few days, but then after that keep the door open so they have access to water/food. Right now, they will sleep in the main coop which is not as warm as roost area mostly because i don't think they know that the roost is available. So maybe i will show them for a few nights and then leave it up to them. it's been pretty cold here at night for the last few days so i just want them to know it's available.

thanks for all of your help!
lisa

 

[DTchickens]

when their young. like. weeks. i keep all of my birds with food/water all the time. but when they get up to.. 5-6. months old. Meaning pretty much grown chickens. Only water 24/7. and feed in the evening. right at dark. before they go to bed. but still enough light where they can see to eat. and all my birds seem to be healthy and not Starving. *shrug*. of course my birds are in pens on grass. instead of in coops.

 

[lovemychicks9]

I keep food and water with my girls all the time as it is warm here and has been in the 90's all the last week and it gets very warm in their coop. I do run a fan all day for them to cool it but it is still quite warm in there so I leave the food and water. I do keep food and water in the run too but I cover them at night to keep out bugs and critters.

 

[LynneP]

I don;t think I'd risk leaving any animal without water 24/7. Even if they don;t seem to use it, there could be a situation in which they are dehydrating or have a problem with a crop...