Coop door - water/food

[Saraandaaron]

Hello!

I am planning on building a new coop with an enclosed predator-proof run. Do I still need to close the little coop door every night?How about in the winter months? I live in Ontario, Canada so our winters can be cold.

Also, would you recommend food and water both in the coop and in the run?

thanks for your help!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello!

I am planning on building a new coop with an enclosed predator-proof run. Do I still need to close the little coop door every night?How about in the winter months? I live in Ontario, Canada so our winters can be cold.

Also, would you recommend food and water both in the coop and in the run?

thanks for your help!

I have your planned set up running beautifully in NY.
I don't close the pop door.
I winterize the run with wind breaks (reinforced clear vinyl) so the pop door is always open.
Summer:

Winter:

Food and one heated waterer in the run:

The hanging homemade PVC feed troughs for fermented feed.
This is the heated waterer I use in the run elevated to chest height:

Another heated (bucket style with a loose fitting lid to minimize vapor loss) waterer in the coop:

 

[Saraandaaron]

I have your planned set up running beautifully in NY.
I don't close the pop door.
I winterize the run with wind breaks (reinforced clear vinyl) so the pop door is always open.
Summer:
View attachment 2292411
Winter:
View attachment 2292412
Food and one heated waterer in the run:
View attachment 2292414
The hanging homemade PVC feed troughs for fermented feed.
This is the heated waterer I use in the run elevated to chest height:
View attachment 2292419
Another heated (bucket style with a loose fitting lid to minimize vapor loss) waterer in the coop:
View attachment 2292415

Wow thank you this is so helpful! So you don’t keep food in the coop because your chickens come out into the run all winter long?

 

[DobieLover]

Wow thank you this is so helpful! So you don’t keep food in the coop because your chickens come out into the run all winter long?

That is correct.
They go out just about as soon as they jump off the roost in the morning.
My fall prep includes putting up the tarps, adding another load of wood chips to the run and raking it out and dumping another bale of bedding into the coop. I only clean the coop out once a year because I use poop boards. I want the bedding thick so they can keep warm by hunkering down in the coop on bitter cold days. They will still wander out to the run and scratch around and eat but also spend maybe half the day in the coop when the weather gets really ugly.

 

[Saraandaaron]

That is correct.
They go out just about as soon as they jump off the roost in the morning.
My fall prep includes putting up the tarps, adding another load of wood chips to the run and raking it out and dumping another bale of bedding into the coop. I only clean the coop out once a year because I use poop boards. I want the bedding thick so they can keep warm by hunkering down in the coop on bitter cold days. They will still wander out to the run and scratch around and eat but also spend maybe half the day in the coop when the weather gets really ugly.

Awesome thank you!

 

[aart]

loose fitting lid to minimize vapor loss

...and prevent vapor lock.