Do my 6 week old chicks need food when they are closed up at night?

[greenkjb]

My girls have been outside for a week now and they are loving it! I have been putting food and water in their house when I close them up at night. I notice they don't seem to be eating their food during the day that much and they make a HUGE mess inside the house with the food they have at night. Are they ok without food for the night? Or maybe I should not close them up? My run is predator proof, I just worry about them getting too cold. Thanks for any advice...

 

[Erica]

If it's dark in the night-section, they won't be eating the food, they'll simply be trampling in it when they get active around dawn. I wouldn't bother having food or water in the sleeping area, personally.

Then again if some drama happens and you don't let them out, lack of water could quickly harm them.

I guess it all depends what setup you have, how much space in the coop, and how reliable you intend to be.

As for them not eating much food in the day, that's pretty odd. I'd probably look into that, e.g. possible coccidiosis. I find chicks are little demolition experts, they go through the feed fast.

Best of luck, hope this helps,
Erica