my coop is not the largest, it has room for four chickens MAX!, but as of right now i only have two; so i still have room inside to put their water thingy, but im finding every morning it is full of wood chip and other things the girls decided to put in it durning the night. and im wanting to get another chicken so the upper put of the coop will be a bit full with three chickens and the water dish; do chickens need access to water during the night time hours? can i leave the door open and leave the water in the buttom part or the coop. It is a coop with an upper and lower section, top is completely closed off with wood panelling, with just a wee window, and the buttom is also closed off but with heavy-duty wire, so they will be safe from predetors either way. Can i leave the door wide open; its like leaving the door to their bedroom open not the front door of the house?
Chickens can't see at night and will not get up to eat or drink. They do however, rise early around 5:30am and they want to drink first thing in the morning (wouldn't you?) The main thing at night is to keep them safe from predators. If you can keep the feed dry and the predators out, put the food wherever you can do those things.
We keep the food and water downstairs under the coop (everything solidly enclosed, "nothing's getting in there" will be my famous last words), once they're on their perch for the night they don't move until morning, and they seem to be late sleepers lol. As far as the problem with the water dish getting filled with stuff, have you thought about "chicken-nipples"? - either from a hose or pvc pipe or from a soda bottle? My wife set up 6 of them running from two pvc pipes and the chickens seem to like them (and you can even add ice to the bottle/bucket for those hot days). No more mess.
Ok cool, i have to be at work for 5 in the morning and the let them out a bit before that, so does this mean im up before the roosters crow? maybe i should try and convience my wife to get one... I knew that starting that early was an un-godly hour, :, even the chickens are still sleeping any tips on how to keep the water clean? if im unable to hang the waterer...
It was recommended to me not to hang the waterer. So I have a wide brick under it. It's raised off the floor about 3 inches, and that seems to do the trick.
