Can this marriage be saved?

[Justso]

How about adding a small enclosed run with water? You could still have a pop door on it. Summers get hot and I know the birds can get thirsty early. Morning for them starts around 4:00 a.m. Sorry girls, I'd be too lazy to get up that early and put your water out. Mine have an open house and a completely enclosed run, food inside, water out.

 

[5.3acredream]

I don't put food or water in my coop, but I also don't have a door on my coop. It enables me to do the following: I have an automatic light that will go on in the winter inside the coop and a floodlight in their run which points at the food and water. I routinely see them getting food and water in the run around 4am when I'm leaving the house in the winter because the light inside the coop woke them, a chicken is going to chicken.

Unless you can guarantee they will never get locked in the coop all day, I think they should have access to water. I was so against having it inside my coop that I put the floodlight on the outside so they can get to food and water when I force wakefulness in the winter. But, like I said, they are never actually able to be locked inside the coop. My run is pretty predator resistant. I'll never say predator proof! That's tempting fate!

 

[Chickin Out]

Water is a necessity, available at all times. Most loss of young poultry (not counting from predators) is from dehydration. There is zero good reason not to provide water 24/7.
Food may not be necessary if you penned them up late and let them out early. But remember, growing chicks eat a lot and frequently. The same is true for laying hens. Producing eggs takes a tremendous amount of food, protein and energy.

 

[romea]

wow. it would have never dawned on me NOT to provide either. having animals comes with obligations. one of them is providing (additional) food and, yes, fresh water - as well as a clean environment - besides a few other things.

 

[Kriskat77]

I’m not sure if this will help but my neighbor installed a water system in his coop. He tapped into his sprinkler system and he has thin tubes with small spickets than run around the inside of the coop. The chickens just walk right up a drink almost like a hamster would from a water bottle. The water is always fresh and this way he avoids water being contaminated by poop, bugs and mice. I hope this might help. It’s a great idea and I’ve seen the chickens use it so I know it works.

 

[Clairemarie1982]

I think it depends on what setup people have and their schedules. We have 12 chickens in a coop with a very secure and covered run. We keep the food and water outside in the run 24/7. We don’t have food or water inside the coop. Being they don’t go into the coop until it’s time to roost in the evenings and I am up at the crack of dawn to let them out I don’t really see a reason why my chickens would need water in their coop... unless they are jumping down from the roosts for a midnight water break. But I guess if you have a pop up door and are relying on that to open and you’re not home then yeah I would say keeping food and water in there would be important.

 

[donddon]

My coop is for laying eggs and sleeping. Eating and drinking are done in the run. I let my birds out when the sun comes up, and I lock them in at sundown. I have never had a chicken die of dehydration or malnutrition. If I die in my sleep, my next of kin have instructions on following the above schedule. Get rid of the chickens if you can't do it right, I tell them. If you want to sleep late, you should keep goldfish instead.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

In a few days our nearly 6 week old chicks will be moving out of the house and into a coop/run arrangement with a large area of green forage.
My husband and I had decided not to provide feed or water in the coop for many reasons. Now, having hand raised these precious babies, I’ve decided there should be water available in the coop. My husband does not agree. Strongly.

What if the pop door doesn’t pop? What if we don’t get down to the coop early to let them out? How long can a chicken go without water?

Our coop is not air conditioned. We use nipple waterers so dripping is minimal. For bedding we’re starting with pine shavings but may switch to sand sometime in the future.

I think he’s just being stubborn because it wasn’t his idea. I, on the other hand, will listen to reason if someone out there can convince me I shouldn’t have these concerns. I know there’s a slight chance of differing opinions and that’s good for the sake of my argument.

I would tend to agree with your husband. I don’t have food and water in my coop,
it’s all out in the run. I guess I am not worried because mine have an automatic door and I set it to open at sunrise. When my chickens go into the coop, they just go straight to their roost. They finish up eating, picking at their oyster shell and drinking before they put themselves to bed.

 

[sharrielee]

I have both food and water inside my coop 24/7. I always have. My coop is a shed and I open the door wide all day and when they go to bed at night I lock the door shut. They free range all day and and occasionally go in for food or to lay eggs and they also have water outside. I have never had a problem doing it like this. They have shavings on the floor the feeder is on legs and sits on top of a plastic bin lid. (Tote) I feel like food and water especially should always be available. What if I wake up sick or there is an emergency or whatever. I know they will be ok while I am away. That is just my feeling. Good luck to you.

 

[Celticdragonfly]

I have a combined coop and run, and they are well predator-proofed. We have the hardware cloth predator apron and all that. We keep the food and water in the run - and generally leave that pop door open all the time. The chickens can get up and come out into the run in the morning when they feel like it - and they put themselves to bed at dusk. So it's all up to them. I like it this way.