Can this marriage be saved?

[wkshaddon]

With my chickens ive noticed they generally dont get down from their roosting pole at all during the night and neither did my chicks even when i made water available to them. Ive never seen them be active in the dark and they usually wait til i open their door before they come down...except my rhody, Ginger, shes up and ready to come out as soon as its light out. But I try and always let them out no later than 8am.

Theyre free range chickens so the rooster will run them into the coop if he senses a potential threat (like hawks and eagles) otherwise they dont loiter around in the coop

 

[Maggie13]

Once the freezing temperatures are done in my area I keep water outside the coop.

 

[farmmanjim]

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.

Without a constant supply of water they can easily die and dehydrate. Chickens keep an average temperature of 105. Also birds will not lay regular without lots of clean water. Both my chicken house have lean toos for shade and protection from weather and this is where food and water stay, not inside. There door is never closed because i have secure pens/ runs. Mine are considered free range because their pens are over 1000 sg ft and i let my 2 year olds out often to forage the yards. They must have quality food and calcium for better eggs.

 

[Chickenclaude]

I keep a (heated in winter) waterer in the outdoor covered run. I feed in-the run every morning..enough that they empty the feeder daily. I don’t keep water or feed inside the house unless weather conditions keep them from going into the run. I always have fresh water available. Especially for young chicks.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't disagree with your husband. They do like to eat and drink in the morning but it isn't imperative. Just make sure they never go 24 hours without water. They will live.
Regardless of where one lands on the food/water inside or outside debate, they can't survive without big venetilation.

 

[countryladyNH]

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 NOT ever put water and food in the coop. The nipple waterer and their food are in the run. We have a 'Grandpa's Feeder'---best money we ever spent. No pop door. We let them out each AM and never a problem. They are fine until you get out there to let them into the run. Don't worry. Listen to hubby on this one!

 

[munchkinlover]

I have 9 girls and 1 boy, and their coop has became more than large enough for them. 1 also have 3 nesting boxes attached out the back. I have never had food or water in the coop, but when my Molly hatched 4 babies, I put starter food and baby waterer on the floor in a private space outside of her private box. Everything to walk on is raised up high enough that the babies couldn't hop up to leave the coop for about 3-4 days, but once they could follow momma out, the food and water came out too.
I have read and heard the at night, chickens don't move because they can't see, so I assumed that Molly and the chicks stayed in the box. When they come out in the morning they hit the water first, but they seem healthy and happy. I will always let my girls raise their own. It's so much easier and Molly does a great job!

 

[Crystaluna13]

We’ve read a lot of differing opinions on this. I believe there is something of a consensus among those who ban water and feed from the coop that having those things outside the coop encourages the birds not to hang out in there during the day when they should be outside. Reduces poop in the coop. That, and as a previous post mentioned, there can be an issue with rodents if the coop isn’t tight. I get that, and am generally fine with leaving food outside the coop but I do feel water should be available at all times. I’m not suggesting the coop waterer be the only source of water, just that it ought to be available.

Thanks, I appreciate your taking the time to support my cause!

I have food and water both in the coop and in the run. They can't go long without either of these. Our auto door didn't open one day b/c the battery died about a month earlier than we expected...

 

[tbcewalsh]

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.

Please put water in your coop. At first we did not. One hot day we went to town not realizing that the coop door did not open. Heartbreaking to come home and find all our girls dead. Horrible way for them to die. And so hard on us

Also, we use the deep layer bedding method dusting the shavings with diatomaceous earth. Never have any flies, ever.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Perhaps the coop doesn't have enough shade or ventilation. It gets up to 110+ here but I don't think the chickens would die in it because there is deep shade over all of them and huge windows.